National Blood Service implements new model to determine risk

SOUTH AFRICA: National Blood Service implements new model to determine risk

JOHANNESBURG, 30 Sep 2005 (PLUSNEWS) - The South African National Blood Service (SANBS) has implemented a new model for blood donations that excludes race as a factor in rating HIV/AIDS risk.

According to the Mail and Guardian online newspaper, Health minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang commented, "I am glad the SANBS has been able to implement the new risk model for blood donations that excludes race, within timelines that we set."

The new system, which identifies genetic material traces of HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C viruses more effectively than other methods, is known as nucleic acid amplification (NAC).

The new risk-rating model replaces the controversial SANBS system that used HIV prevalence statistics to rate blood from races other than white as carrying a higher risk.

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