Student Sues Henan University For Hepatitis Discrimination

A student in Henan province has filed a law suit against the Henan Institute of Finance and Economics alleging that the school discriminated against him because he is a carrier of the hepatitis B virus, according to China Youth Daily. The university denied the student admission last spring, despite the fact that the student scored above the cut-off point on the entrance examination. According to the university, officials denied the student admission because his application showed that he had tested positive for hepatitis B.

The National People’s Congress amended the Law on the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases on August 28, 2004. The amended law specifically prohibits discrimination against people infected with contagious diseases, people carrying the pathogen of a contagious disease, and people who are suspected of having a contagious disease.

Medical experts estimate that up to 120 million people in China may be carriers of the hepatitis B virus. Carriers often face discrimination in schooling, employment, and other aspects of their lives.