Currently over 20 types of highly
expensive blood products, such as IVIG (intravenous immunoglobulin)
which has a high price, are being obtained from blood and blood
products,” IBTO Director General Hassan Abolqasemi said on Friday, IRNA
reported.
“During the past three years, we managed to produce all the IVIG,
[formerly] made of Western blood and imported at a price of over USD 60
million, from Iranian blood and through the Blood Transfusion
Organization itself,” he added.
Abolqasemi highlighted the efforts by Iranian researchers to achieve
international standards in the field of plasma industry, which he said
has encouraged European countries to wait in line to sign contracts to
import Iranian plasma.
The Iranian official hailed IBTO’s position in the international
rankings due to what he called the exemplary cooperation of Iranian
blood donors and the government.
Currently the index of blood donation in the country is 25 per 1,000
people, which stands in the first place in the region, he noted.
“After Iran, Turkey stands second with an index of 20 for every
1,000 people while the figure for other regional countries is under 15
and we are proud to be among the five Asian countries to have the
highest voluntary blood donation,” Abolqasemi explained.
