Prevention of HIV transmission through blood and blood products: experiences in Mexico

As of August 1988, 1,628 cases of AIDS had been reported in Mexico, of which 12% were ascribed to transmission through blood. Of the 201 subjects infected by blood, 159 (79%) were infected through transfusions. The relatively high number of such cases was found to be associated with a prevalence of HIV infection of 7% among paid donors as compared with a prevalence of 0.1% among volunteer donors. A National AIDS Prevention Committee has been established in Mexico, and amendments to the country's General Health Law mandate compulsory screening to detect HIV infection among all donors and prohibit the sale of blood. A national network of screening laboratories was established and an educational campaign initiated among health personnel. Evaluation of this program shows that the current frequency of HIV infection in donors is 0.04%.