Commissions and Inquiries

From time to time, the Government of Canada initiates research and responds to health-related issues at a national level. Here you will find an overview of the Commission of Inquiry on the Blood System in Canada (Krever Commission).

Commission of Inquiry on the Blood System in Canada (Krever Commission)

News Releases

On November 26, 1997, Health Minister Allan Rock, on behalf of the federal government, released the final report of the Commission of Inquiry on the Blood System in Canada (Krever Commission).

On November 25, 1998, the Health Minister observed the first anniversary of the report by reaffirming the federal government's commitment to blood safety . He added that Health Canada took action concerning each one of the commission's final reccommendations that concerned the Department.

Report - Table of Contents

Volume 1

  • Foreword
  • Acknowledgements
  • Some Important Milestones: HIV and AIDS, 1981-94
  • Some Important Milestones: Hepatitis, 1965-95

Part I: Introduction

  • 1. The Scope and Nature of the Inquiry
  • 2. Blood: Blood Components and Blood Products

Part II: The Canadian Blood System at the Emergence of AIDS
Introduction

  • 3. The Canadian Red Cross Society
  • 4. The Search for Self-Sufficiency in Fractionation
  • 5. The Canadian Blood Committee and Its Relationship with the Canadian Red Cross
  • 6. The Bureau of Biologics and the Regulation of Blood and Blood Products
  • 7. The Public Health Environment
  • 8. The Care and Treatment of Hemophilia

Part III: The Canadian Response to Threats to the Safety of the Blood Supply The Emergence of AIDS

  • 9. The Recognition of AIDS as a Blood-Borne Disease
  • 10. Canada's Early Response to the Emergence of AIDS AIDS: Safety in Blood and Blood Components
  • 11. Measures to Reduce the Risk of Contamination
  • 12. The Introduction of Testing for HIV Antibody
  • 13. Notifying the Recipients of Contaminated Blood and Blood Components

Volume 2
AIDS: Safety in Blood Products

  • 14. The Risk in Factor Concentrates
  • 15. The Conversion to Heat-Treated Concentrates
  • 16. Safety in Heat-Treated Concentrates
  • 17. The Decline of the Domestic Fractionation Industry
  • 18. Treatment of Hemophiliacs in the Era of AIDS
    AIDS: Responses Outside the Blood Program
  • 19. The Public Health Authorities: Information about AIDS
  • 20. Contact Tracing
  • 21. The Risk to the Sexual Partners and Children of Hemophiliacs Hepatitis: Safety in Blood Components and Blood Products
  • 22. The Nature and History of Hepatitis
  • 23. Surrogate Testing
  • 24. Canada's Rejection of Surrogate Testing
  • 25. The Canadian Response to Post-Transfusion Hepatitis: Commentary
  • 26. The Consequences of the Contamination of the Blood Supply

Volume 3
Part IV: International Responses to the Risk of HIV in the Blood Supply

International Milestones: HIV and AIDS, 1981-8

  • 27. The United States
  • 28. Australia
  • 29. France
  • 30. Germany
  • 31. Japan
  • 32. The Netherlands
  • 33. The United Kingdom
  • 34. Comparative Tables

Part V: Safety of Plasma Derivatives

  • 35. Safety of Plasma Derivatives: The Role of Regulation

Part VI: Towards a New Blood System

  • 36. The Blood Supply System in Canada: Systemic Problems in the 1980s
  • 37. The Need for Reform of the Current System
  • 38. The Initiative of the Federal, Provincial, and Territorial Governments to Reform the Blood System
  • 39. Financial Assistance for Blood-Associated Injury
  • 40. The Blood System for the Future Afterword Appendices

Although every care has been taken to assure the integrity of the online documentation presented here, only the official printed version shall be considered authoritative.

Krever Commission Report © 1997 Public Works and Government Services Canada

How to obtain the Report

The original printed report consists of 1138 pages and is available in 4 PDF files on the following websites.

Related Resources

For additional reports on commissions and inquiries, please refer to our section on Federal Commissions on Health Care.

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