Supply The issues of safety and supply of blood and blood products have been much on my mind over the last few months, prompted by two major European meetings on this topic, the Joint Regulatory Affairs Symposium and the International Symposium on Blood Transfusion. At both meetings I spoke about safety from the point of view of a person with haemophilia. Safety of blood products is a vital issue for people with haemophilia. The community has been devastated by HIV and hepatitis in the past, and in many countries the devastation continues.
Supply is also a major concern.
There is a great need for an adequate supply of factor replacement therapy. Currently some 240,000 people with haemophilia do not have access to an adequate supply. And many of the 80,000 people with haemophilia who have access to factor replacement therapy have had difficulty getting it in the last two years. One of the biggest problems with the licensing, inspection, and regulation of all blood and plasma collection and fractionation facilities is the lack of harmonization. Issues concerning regulation, safety, and supply of blood and blood products are discussed and dealt with regionally, not globally.