The Japanese health minister, Naoto Kan, apologised last week to people with haemophilia who have become HIV positive through infected blood products. Mr Kan's apology marked the first time that the government has admitted its culpability in failing to introduce heat treatment for blood products. The use of heat treated blood products could have saved 1800 Japanese people with haemophilia from becoming HIV positive.

“Representing the ministry, I offer you heartfelt apologies,” Mr Kan told 200 HIV positive haemophilic people and their families who had been demonstrating for three days outside Tokyo's health ministry. The demonstrators interpreted the minister's …