
America: The human plasma factory
Journalist Kathleen McLaughlin investigates the multibillion-dollar global plasma industry and the world鈥檚 reliance on one country鈥檚 blood.
Journalist Kathleen McLaughlin needs $15,000-a-dose medication to treat her rare autoimmune condition. While she sits for hours at a time, just down the block is one of over 1000 commercial blood donation centres in the USA extracting plasma, which forms an essential part of her treatment.
Kathleen investigates the multibillion-dollar global plasma industry behind her life-enhancing medication. Through donor and patient testimonies, expert insights and personal experiences, she tries to make sense of the world鈥檚 reliance on one country鈥檚 blood, a reliance that only continues to grow.
Kathleen learns why people are resorting to plasma donation to stay out of debt, whether patients around the world have sufficient access to this medication, and why the burden of global production is rooted in the US.
Producer: Hester Cant
Executive producer: Jane Long
A Hidden Flack production for 成人快手 World Service
On radio
More episodes
Broadcasts
- Next Thursday 01:32GMT成人快手 World Service
- Next Thursday 08:32GMT成人快手 World Service
- Next Thursday 19:06GMT成人快手 World Service except East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa
- Next Saturday 16:32GMT成人快手 World Service News Internet
- Next Saturday 23:32GMT成人快手 World Service except Americas and the Caribbean, East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa
- Sun 1 Jun 2025 04:32GMTLive News
- Sun 1 Jun 2025 04:32GMT成人快手 World Service except Australasia & East and Southern Africa
- Sun 1 Jun 2025 13:06GMT成人快手 World Service News Internet
- Sun 1 Jun 2025 22:32GMT成人快手 World Service East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa only