Aug. 16, 2008 health news
For days now, Ten Xiaojun has stood beside a major street in Beijing -- in the heart of the Olympic venues and under the watchful eye of security officials -- and held up his placard, hoping to get noticed. Ten, a 30-year-old from Hunan province, believes Chinese officials should be doing more to educate the public on the perils of contracting hepatitis C. His handmade sign, penned in both English and Chinese, reads: "The hepatitis C is as dangerous as the AIDS. Please pay attention to it and control it if you have the ability." Ten contracted hep C during a tainted transfusion following a car accident about nine years ago.
WORRIES FOR WIFE
He believes he has infected his wife, but is afraid to have her tested. If she is found positive, said Ten, she likely would not accept the reality of the infection.
"I want the government to pay attention," Ten said yesterday. He said he knows Chinese leaders take the problem seriously, but wants them to push education even further among the population.
But his message could as easily have been for the athletes as well.
Australian competitors have been warned about getting an Olympic tattoo while here, even if it's to celebrate a medal victory. It's a tradition among many athletes to have the rings of the Games inked in the host city. However, Hepatitis Australia has a campaign to warn Olympians the practice "seriously risks" the transmission of blood-borne diseases.
"It's only natural our athletes will want to remember their achievements by getting a tattoo of the iconic Olympic rings, but tattooing involves risks which many people don't realize," the organization's chief executive, Helen Tyrrell, told Australian media.
NEEDLES POSE RISK
Both hepatitis B and C can be transmitted through needles used by tattoo artists.
On the Beijing street, a passing Chinese doctor applauded Ten's campaign, but said the government is trying hard to educate the people.
"It's not a problem getting the message out in the cities. It's more in the rural areas, where there is a lack of resources," he said.
As Ten complained that he has sent a letter to Chinese leaders, but has not had a response, the doctor told him there's a proper process that he should use to push for more government attention.
In the last figures available, the Chinese health ministry estimated 41 million people had contracted the hepatitis C virus in 2004, killing 280,000 people here annually.
Provided by: Sun Media
Written by: Thane Burnett
