In April 1991, the doctor and journalist published an article in the French weekly magazine the ' showing that the ' knowingly distributed blood products contaminated with HIV to

haemophiliac Haemophilia, or hemophilia (), is a mostly inherited genetic disorder that impairs the body's ability to make blood clots, a process needed to stop bleeding. This results in people bleeding for a longer time after an injury, easy bruising, ...

s in 1984 and 1985, leading to an outbreak of

HIV/AIDS Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual ...

and hepatitis C in numerous countries. It is estimated that 6,000 to 10,000 haemophiliacs were infected in the United States alone. In France, 4,700 people were infected, and over 300 died. Other impacted countries include Canada, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Portugal, and the United Kingdom.

Background

On January 8, 1985, multi-national health care company Abbott Laboratories sought authorisation to sell equipment needed for blood testing. Response to the demand was delayed as the government was waiting for a rival French test to be released. So they continued to use the old unheated product in 1985, while the heated stock was available. In 1992, Anne-Marie Casteret published a book ''Blood scandal'' () which refuted the argument that nobody was aware in 1985 that the heating of blood made the virus inactive. The book included evidence that as early as 1983, researchers had put forth this assumption.

Lawsuits

In 1999, the former socialist Prime Minister

Laurent Fabius Laurent Fabius (; born 20 August 1946) is a French politician serving as President of the Constitutional Council since 8 March 2016. A member of the Socialist Party, he previously served as Prime Minister of France from 17 July 1984 to 20 Mar ...

, former Social Affairs Minister

Georgina Dufoix Georgina Dufoix (born Georgina Nègre on 16 February 1942) is a French politician, who served as Minister of Social Affairs and National Solidarity from 1984 to 1986, in the government of Laurent Fabius Laurent Fabius (; born 20 August 194 ...

and former Health Minister

Edmond Herve Edmond is a given name related to Edmund. Persons named Edmond include: * Edmond Canaple (1797–1876), French politician * Edmond Chehade (born 1993), Lebanese footballer * Edmond Conn (1914–1998), American farmer, businessman, and politician ...

were charged with "manslaughter". The found

Edmond Hervé Edmond Hervé (born 3 December 1942) is a French politician, a member of the Socialist Party and French senator from 2008 to 2014. He was the mayor of Rennes from 1977 to 2008, succeeding Henri Fréville. Biography Born in La Bouillie, Cô ...

guilty, and acquitted Fabius and Dufoix. Although Hervé was found guilty, he received no sentence. Dr M. Garretta, the director of National Blood Center (central national de transfusion sanguine), however, was sentenced a four year prison; and became known as the symbol of Blood Scandal among the French.

Precautionary measures

After the blood scandal, neither scientists, nor governors were fully trusted. Measures have been taken in order to bring back public trust, such as forcing regulators to replace a Consensus model of making decisions with a new model named deliberately-transparent one, in Europe. This new model includes new ingredients: to encourage a greater public participation in policy-making decisions. It requires regulators to be more transparent, and also to take more precautionary measures in European countries, even in unlikely hazards like the risk of mobile radiations.

References

{{reflist HIV/AIDS in France Health disasters in France 1991 in France Contaminated haemophilia blood products fr:Affaire du sang contaminé

Background

Lawsuits

Precautionary measures

See also

References