Tokyo, 1970s: The Road to the Establishment of a Free Blood Donation System (1970s)

Tokyo, 1970s: The Road to the Establishment of a Free Blood Donation System (1970s)
In Tokyo in the 1970s, blood sales by the economically poor were widespread, and the danger of hepatitis and other infectious diseases became a social problem. 1956 saw the enactment of the Control Law, but this did not eradicate the problem. 1964 saw a turning point when the government passed a cabinet decision to "secure blood through blood donation". In 1972, antigen testing for hepatitis B was introduced, and in 1974, a 100% blood donation system was achieved nationwide. In 1990, paid plasma collection was abolished and a system of completely free blood donation was established. Thus, a shift from blood-dependent medicine to ethical medicine based on citizen cooperation was achieved.