Settlement of HIV-Tainted Blood Scandal Marks 30 Years

Tokyo, March 29 (Jiji Press)–Sunday marked the 30th anniversary of the settlement of a class-action lawsuit filed by hemophilia patients in Japan who contracted HIV through the administration of untreated blood products. Tomomi Goto, 53, who currently leads a group of plaintiffs in Tokyo, warns that prejudice and discrimination against people with infectious diseases remain unresolved, referring to the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Goto was diagnosed with hemophilia, a condition that makes it difficult to stop bleeding, during his childhood. Around junior high school age, it was learned that he had contracted HIV from blood products used in his treatment. He was also infected with hepatitis C and suffered from cirrhosis. About 1,400 people were affected by the untreated blood products, making it one of the worst pharmaceutical disasters in history. In 1989, patients and bereaved families jointly sued the government and the manufacturers of the blood products in Tokyo and Osaka district courts. Goto joined the plaintiffs in 1995. In March 1996, settlements were reached in both courts. The government and drugmakers agreed to pay lump-sum money of 45 million yen and cover medical expenses. Since becoming the third representative of the Tokyo plaintiff group in 2011, Goto has been leading negotiations with the health ministry. According to the plaintiff group, many of the victims are now in their 50s. They have had limited social connections since they struggled to find jobs due to their illness and Japan’s “employment ice age.” Goto noted that providing support for the victims in their daily lives and medical visits is becoming an issue as they age. “We must now consider what kind of support system is needed going forward,” he said. Goto is also keenly aware that discrimination against people with infectious diseases runs deep, after seeing the public criticism of people traveling across prefectural borders during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Anyone can have COVID-19 or HIV,” Goto emphasized. “I want people to have the correct knowledge.” END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]