Discrimination against carriers of the hepatitis B virus (HBV)
is still a severe problem, said Weng Xinhua, an expert from the
Chinese Medical Association, at a meeting held on Wednesday.
About 52 percent of the 425 hepatitis B patients in a survey
conducted by Britain's Synovate Healthcare said they once lost a
job or educational chance because of their disease. Some 47 percent
worry their employers might lay them off if they discover they have
HBV.
The survey was conducted in Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou,
Chengdu, Wuhan and Shenyang.
However, China has made some progress in protecting the rights
of (HBV) carriers, said Weng.
The Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Health revised
national standards covering health qualifications for public
servants, saying that HBV carriers who do not show symptoms can
still apply for jobs.
In early 2004, Zhang Xianzhu successfully sued the Wuhu
municipal personnel bureau in Anhui Province, winning the country's
first job discrimination case involving the rights of
non-infectious HBV carriers.
Central China's Hunan Province rescinded its regulation barring
the employment of HBV carriers as public servants last year.
The amended Chinese Prevention and Treatment of Infectious
Diseases, which prohibits companies and persons from discriminating
against HBV carriers, went into effect on December 1.
China has 120 million HBV carriers -- nearly one 10th of its
population -- and 30 million have become active patients, said
Weng.
(China Daily January 20, 2005)