Contaminated blood products remains one of the major channels for spreading HIV/AIDS in Shanghai, and at least 54 local hemophilia patients have been diagnosed with the deadly virus after coming in contact with contaminated blood.

To help these victims, the local government has provided free medical treatment and a monthly subsidy of 1,000 yuan (US$121.07) since 2002.

According to the latest statistics from the city's Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, 6.5 per cent of Shanghai's 886 HIV carriers and AIDS patients contracted the virus via contaminated blood products.

Hemophilia is a bleeding disorder caused by a clotting deficiency, and supplying the coagulation factor is the main treatment for the disease.

Local hemophilia patients suspected they were infected with HIV after using the 8th blood coagulation factor produced by Shanghai Bioproducts Research Centre, the nation's major blood product producer.

In China all blood products,including the coagulation factor, were treated with deactivation technology until July 1995 when the Ministry of Health forbid the technology because it failed to kill the HIV virus.

Hemophilia patient Taotao was the first reported AIDS victim in 1998 and died two years later at the age of 15.

According to Wu Zhongze, Taotao's father, a total of 11 hemophilia patients have died but they didn't receive an HIV test before death.

Since 2000, hemophilia patients and their family members have struggled to obtain compensation and better medical treatment.

"It's very hard to bring these cases to court; for a period of time local courts didn't accept such cases,'' said a local lawyer who requested anonymity.

After three years the Changning District Intermediate Court ruled that Wu qualified for 100,000 yuan (US$1,210) as compensation for his son's death. However, the blood products producers and hospital are judged to be not guilty for there is no evidence to prove the contaminated blood coagulation factor directly led to AIDS.

Other hemophilia patients and their family members infected with HIV received similar compensation.

"To ensure the stability of the society, the local municipal government has been paying high attention to this issue and providing medical treatment and the monthly subsidy,'' said an official from Shanghai Health Bureau.

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