Recent revelations of approximately 30,000 patients contracting hepatitis through contaminated blood transfusions in the UK shows there is an urgent need to address the importance of patient education, self-advocacy, informed consent, and awareness of blood transfusion alternatives in healthcare.

LONDON - May 31, 2024 - PRLog -- The Infected Blood Inquiry was published on 20 May 2024. One of the primary groups impacted the BBC reported were "people who had a blood transfusion after childbirth, accidents or during medical treatment."

Inquiry Chairman, Sir Brian Langstaff noted, "The harm that was done to people cannot adequately be put into words, but parents watched their children suffer and, in many cases, die. Children witnessed one, sometimes both parents decline and die as a result."

The New York Times quoted Prime Minister Rishi Sunak saying, "Today's report shows a decades-long moral failure at the heart of our national life."

Dr Aryeh Shander, Time Magazine Hero of Medicine and lead author of Blood Works: An Owner's Guide remarked, "In other countries, some blood bankers were sentenced to time in jail. Although the current crisis in the UK is, to say the least, disturbing, one needs to ask appropriate questions and look into the future while addressing the past. Was the blood given actually necessary? Were there other treatments that could have avoided blood transfusions altogether? The answers are simple and resounding."

The landmark book Blood Works: An Owner's Guide is a collective of 48 global experts in blood health. It describes blood transfusion as "a liquid organ transplant, transferring one individuals cells, DNA, white blood cells, antigens, antibodies, and blood borne parasites, bacteria and viruses to another" and goes on to explain the direct and indirect hazards of transfusion and that "as early as 1922 doctors were warning of the dangers."

"Blood as an organ, can completely regenerate if given the nutrients (e.g., iron) completely eliminating the need for donor blood," states Dr Shander.

World Anemia Awareness, which runs educational campaigns on blood health commented, "Globally we see vulnerable populations like pregnant women and teenage girls suffering from anemia and iron deficiency. Most don't understand the risks and impact on their lives such as preterm delivery, low birth weight, complications during childbirth, depression, fatigue, and educational impact. Early detection and treatment can change their lives and remove the reliance on blood transfusions."

Dr Shander went on to say, "Despite a wide availability of proper treatments, transfusion of blood still remains a default treatment in hospitalised patients across the UK and other countries. Regulatory agencies worldwide must step-up efforts to put proper treatment of blood disorders in place and not simply resort to transfusion."

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ABOUT BLOOD WORKS
Blood Works is an official partner of World Anemia Awareness supporting education for blood health, anemia, and iron deficiency and focuses on patient education and advocacy. It is co published by Human Touch Media Foundation and distributed globally by Simon & Schuster.

ABOUT HUMAN TOUCH MEDIA FOUNDATION
Human Touch Media Foundation is a nonprofit organization that works to support education and awareness with a primary focus on health care.

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