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Central China's Hunan Province rescinded its regulation barring the employment of HBV carriers as public servants last year.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)