Blood Business | New Cannibalism | Plasma Industry | Investigative Documentary

Blood Business - The film sheds light on the opaque trade of the blood plasma industry. From the impoverished streets of Cleveland Ohio to the golden shores of Switzerland's Lake Zurich, the film explores the intricacies around the business of blood.

Blood Business (2017)
Director: Pierre Monnard
Writers: Marie Maurisse, François Pilet
Stars: David Rihs, Carlos, Rudolf Schwabe
Genre: Documentary
Country: Switzerland, Germany
Language: English
Release Date: February 21, 2017 Germany (ARTE)
Filming Location: Cleveland, Ohio, USA

Synopsis:
Plasma, a component of blood that is highly sought-after, now costs more liter per liter than petrol. Used by pharmaceutical companies to create expensive medications, this precious liquid has become a lucrative commodity.

The film investigates one of the largest corporations in this flourishing market, with profits soaring over a billion euros. Their donation centres are mostly found in poor neighbourhoods in the U.S., and they pay donors for their blood, a practice forbidden in Europe.

For impoverished Americans, blood donations have become a source of income- presenting a real risk to their health, as they lie about their health conditions and donate repeatedly to make ends meet.

Other donors give their blood in the hope of helping others- but the reality of where their donations actually go can be somewhat different. We investigate the global trade in blood and plasma donations.

Reviews:
"Excellent investigative journalism into a lesser known sector.
New cannibalism is not an unfair description of circumstances."

Also Known As (AKA):
(original title) Das Geschäft mit dem Blut
Finland Bisnestä verellä
Finland Blodig business(Swedish)
France Le bussiness du sang(new title)
United Kingdom Blood Business
United States Blood Business
World-wide Blood Business(English)

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#plasma #documentary #documentaries

[worldwideinspiration.]

The blood of the poor going into the veins of the rich. What an awakening! You deserve an award for this profound journalism

[tomwhent]

This is a predatory / parasitic practice.
Things that are legal and things that are moral are two very different things.

[aanchaallllllll]

0:29: 💉 The blood trade is a lucrative industry that exploits donors and profits from their willingness to pay for therapies.
8:13: 🩸 Octapharma, a global organization, is dedicated to empowering patients with plasma-based treatments.
16:49: ! The video explores the challenges faced by individuals on a tight budget when donating plasma for money.
22:26: 💉 Donating blood for income has become a necessary source of money for many Americans, despite its potential long-term health effects.
26:47: 🔍 The video discusses the risks and consequences of paid blood donations.
33:56: 🔍 The pharmaceutical industry's lack of transparency and the high fees offered in the USA for plasma donation raise concerns about public health and the well-being of donors.
Recap by Tammy AI

[CuteComments]

I donated for almost a decade until I figured out who gets my plasma and how much the donation center makes. I fainted once. The Most High has provided since I stopped!!!

[thesalishsea]

This is so gross. People should be able to donate blood under their terms and not need to bring a lawyer to decipher the double speak. I think people donate blood imagining that they are saving lives of those who have suffered massive blood loss, not lining the pocket of some billionaire who makes therapies that are completely financially out of reach for most people.

[Innerdiamond]

A friend of mine was donating his blood motivated by a brother he lost. His health began to decline and caused iron deficiency which took over a teae to recover he became chronically ill. Thankfully he listened to me and stopped.

[goatsandroses]

My father used to always say that he stopped giving blood because the people who needed it (even himself, if he had an operation) would still have to pay an exorbitant amount. That is rather how it is in the US; a rather bizarre form of "charity."

[danv]

The journalists and his crewmen/ team are brave people. Respect!Good video.

[lim]

The documentary on the blood and plasma trade is a stark revelation of a world driven by profit and desperation. It's a mix of empathy for those in need and concern for the exploitation. Thanks for shedding light on this critical issue that affects the vulnerable.

[Jesusislord]

I used to “donate” plasma regularly years ago. I had a theory that vampires are real and we’re feeding them for $40 a pop.

[deevanderheiden]

I worked in hospital and clinic laboratories, and in plasma center. I also donated. I have a giant scar on my arm to remind me. My adverse reactions of long term plasma donation... Low protein levels, dehydration, vitamin deficiencies, lowered immunity to name a few. Take a hint from Erin Brockovich, you can't fight big pharma by a documentary... collect your data from clients and use the law. The excuse for no cameras is to protect the privacy of the donors.

[LightBeing]

Dollar stores, Payday Loan business, Liquor stores & Blood Donation facilities are all purposefully located in economically distressed communities. Human exploitation is big business, sad & disturbing

[npa]

This documentary should be applauded. Donors will have to be paid more over time. The payments vary greatly depending on the state. Some states are paying 140 a week. Donors for 1000 ml donations should receive 150 dollars minimum per donation. These billionaires can afford it. Their greed is horrendous. 90% of the employees at these centers even donate because they are paid so little

[tracybormann]

Vampires. This hits close to home. After losing alot of blood and coming dangerously close to needing a transfusion, I left the er. It took God, good food, rest and 2 weeks to restore the blood I lost. I'm still not 100% but working on it. What must "donating" blood so often be doing to the bodies of these folks? And it looks like the blood supply may not be as safe as many assume.
Thanks for making this.

[youngprozack]

I’ve been working in blood banking for 10 years. This is nothing new at all. I remember finding out that a bag of plasma I separated from red blood cells would sell for about 20k. Then when you get into specific blood typing it only shoots the price up and up. All off of a free donation. It’s wild.

[blessedlife]

My best friend of 30 years needed blood to survive. She had a rare blood type and there was a regular donor from Alaska who was a match. She always wanted to somehow thank him for months of her life.

[kellharris]

I used to donate often but I realized that my mental health took a dive after for a few days each time. The mind is very sensitive to the sudden loss of water and protein. The body has to work harder while the body rejuvenates.

This affects some people more then others. For me I wondered why life was suddenly unbearable. This was not one of the side effects they warned me about.

[HeatherYandell]

This documentary is amazing. Thank you. I have suspected a lot of the information for years and you have, in my humble opinion, proven my suspicions. You may be interested to know that during the pandemic CSL Plasma Center, at least in Medford, Oregon, remained open. I saw this to be true with my own eyes pretty much daily. People couldn't go eat in a restaurant but they could go donate? You may want to look into this.

[sweetlikehoney]

Corruption in every corner of the earth. Nothing is safe.😞

[Kaymaybee]

I live in Cleveland and visited the plasma bank on west 25th years ago. My relatives visit regularly now. It is definitely a raquet of appeasing people below the poverty level with mere crumbs. Yes you can lie about tattoos and drug use with no questions. But if something tangible such as high blood pressure or high diabetic numbers is detected you can't donate. Clearly people in there are on heavy drugs but are allowed to donate anyway. There is a store across the street where people purchase beer and wine before they go into the plasma bank and junk food when they come out. This video has taught me alot about this shady business.