BEIJING, Sept 11 (Reuters) - China is facing a shortage of human albumin, or plasma protein, but the quality of blood products is guaranteed, the government said on Tuesday. Authorities have launched a crackdown on producers of fake and shoddy vaccines as well as on underground blood collection centres as it tries to tackle a growing number of health scandals involving substandard products. The blood campaign is particularly sensitive as thousands of people were infected with HIV/AIDS in the 1990s after selling their blood to unsanitary, often state-run clinics. "The production technology and equipment for blood products have improved significantly," the State Food and Drug Administration said in a statement. "Most of the blood products manufacturers in China have injected large amounts of cash into technical renovation, and filtering techniques have been introduced from abroad," it added. "The inspection results show that the general situation of China's blood products and vaccine producers is good," the statement said. "The quality of blood products is guaranteed." In June, the regulator said it had discovered fake plasma being used in at least 18 hospitals in northeastern China. The Health Ministry has also warned that shortcomings remain in the blood collection network. A report by a U.S.-based group last week said China's blood was still not being properly monitored for HIV/AIDS. But Yan Jiangying, spokeswoman for the food and drug watchdog, told a news conference the most pressing problem was a shortage of albumin. "I hope more of our people give blood, as this is the only way to solve the problem at its roots," Yan said. She added that Beijing had no plans to lift a 1986 ban on the import of blood products, imposed following the spread of HIV/AIDS in the United States, to ease the shortage. "The main reason is still due to safety considerations," Yan said. (Additional reporting by Phyllis Xu)
