The Billion Dollar Blood Business | Full Documentary

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.