MONTREAL, Nov. 22, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The date of November 26 marks the 20th anniversary of the final report of the Commission of Inquiry on the Blood System in Canada, commonly known as the Krever Commission. The Commission was set up in 1993, following Canada’s worst public health tragedy in which 1,200 people were infected with HIV and many thousands with hepatitis C through infected blood and blood products, transfused in the 1970s and 1980s.
To mark this event, the Canadian Hemophilia Society (CHS) has released its Report Card on Canada’s Blood System (bit.ly/2mMzSx6). This Report Card constitutes the sixth time in the last 20 years that the CHS has reported to Canadians on the state of the country’s blood system. Previous reports can be found at: bit.ly/2Aa3mec.
“It is widely accepted,” said Paul Wilton, president of the CHS, “that the Krever Commission has had a profound impact on the blood system in Canada and beyond our borders. Justice Krever’s findings are still frequently quoted in publications and at conferences around the world.”
In the wake of the report, Héma-Québec, for the province of Quebec, and Canadian Blood Services (CBS), for the remaining Provinces and Territories, were given responsibility to operate Canada’s blood system. Since then, representatives of the Canadian Hemophilia Society have been named to almost every committee overseeing the supply of safe blood and blood products for Canadians.
“Following the terrible events of the 1980s,” said Mr. Wilton, “many of our volunteers committed themselves to doing everything they could to help avoid such a tragedy ever happening again.”
The report analyzes which of the 50 recommendations of the Krever Report have not been implemented. It gives marks to Héma-Québec, CBS and the Provinces/Territories related to the provision of a safe supply of blood and blood products to Canadians.
The report was prepared by the Canadian Hemophilia Society Blood Safety and Supply Committee with input from Canadian Blood Services, Héma-Québec and the patient groups part of the Network of Rare Blood Disorder Organizations (nrbdo.ca).
About the Canadian Hemophilia Society
Founded in 1953, the Canadian Hemophilia Society is a national voluntary health charity. Its mission is to improve the health and quality of life of all people in Canada with inherited bleeding disorders and ultimately to find cures. Its vision is a world free from the pain and suffering of inherited bleeding disorders.
Contact information:
Chantal Raymond
1-800-668-2686 or 1-514-848-0503, ext.226
[email protected]
www.hemophilia.ca/en