In an important step to help combat the spread of HIV/AIDS in China, The People's Republic of China's Ministry of Health signed a groundbreaking framework agreement with Washington, D.C.-based Safe Blood International Foundation (Safe Blood International), an organization dedicated to providing a safe blood supply for developing countries to help them stop the spread of HIV/AIDS and other blood-borne diseases at the Ministry of Health in Beijing.
According to the kickoff agreement, trainers and professionals in blood testing, standard operating procedures and quality assurance will travel to China to initiate the program early this summer. Initial target areas are the Henan and Yunan provinces.
Under this historic pact, the Ministry of Health of The People's Republic of China and Safe Blood International are jointly establishing the Safe Blood for China(TM) Foundation (Safe Blood for China) whose mission and commitment will be to develop a safe and secure blood supply within China and, in addition, to help protect Chinese citizens from blood-borne infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis B and C and Syphilis.
"Safe Blood International Foundation is honored to work with the Ministry of Health of the People's Republic of China," said Jeffrey Busch, chairman and founder of Safe Blood International. "Safe Blood International Foundation is ready to implement its safe blood program throughout China. Professional staff will be recruited from within China and around the world to provide the very best human resources and high quality blood safeguard programs to help fight the spread of HIV/AIDS and other blood-borne diseases through blood donation and blood transfusion."
With the guidance of the Ministry of Health, the partnership's goals include reducing the risk of spreading HIV/AIDS through blood transfusions by changing how blood is donated, revamping blood bank and hospital transfusion software and increasing the supply of "safe blood" throughout China by eliminating contaminated blood through improved testing and quality control.
"We are pleased to partner with Safe Blood International Foundation to further advance our national program to fight the spread of AIDS throughout the People's Republic of China," said Dr. Wenhan Bi, a representative of the Ministry of Health of China. "We have chosen Safe Blood International Foundation because of its proven safe blood strategies throughout the world and its understanding of our culture and our people."
Safe Blood for China will manage safe blood development projects, develop proposals for blood bank renovation and staff training and coordinate other programs including relevant information technology for The People's Republic of China.