Coping with HIV Transmission in Spain: The Case of Blood Control Failure

Abstract

The response of public health officials in Spain to the discovery of HIV in the blood supply was reactive, driven by media exposure. The dawning of the AIDS crisis was simultaneous with a period of democratization & decentralization of the public health system; & struggles over responsibilities & lack of coordination often paralyzed initiatives to take measures to protect the largely imported blood supply. Blood management was a major programmatic failure. The first outbreaks of AIDS among hemophiliacs brought some media & public attention, but Spain did not experience a scandal such as those in other European countries. Analysis revealed that the absolute number of people infected by blood products in Spain was the highest in Europe. After quiet bargaining, the government in 1993 reached a settlement with hemophiliacs without acknowledging its delays in controlling blood banks & blood products between 1983 & 1987. L. A. Hoffman