Infected girl’s ‘dine with a stranger with Hepatitis B’ awareness campaign

NEW DELHI - A Chinese girl with Hepatitis B found a unique way to raise awareness about the virus-she took to the streets holding a sign saying “Will you have dinner with a HBV carrier”.

The girl, an overseas returnee who calls herself Chucao, told reporters in downtown Wuhan, capital of Hubei province, that she was diagnosed as a carrier of HBV - Hepatitis B Virus - during a physical examination to enter high school.

However, her family got scared of the stigma attached to the illness and forced her to keep it a secret and move away.

Chucao then entered a college in Japan, where she found HBV is not regarded as a terrible disease like it is in China, reports the China Daily.

Back in China, Chucao encountered some other HBV carriers though the Internet and they formed an organization named Green Chucao.

The organization committed itself to publishing scientific knowledge of HBV by carrying out activities such as inviting people to have dinner with sufferers.

Before coming to Wuhan, Chucao carried out similar activities in Guangzhou, Nanjing, Suzhou and Kunshan.

Not only did she encounter difficulties, but also kind-hearted people-one girl even donated 300 yuan.

In the afternoon, 14 volunteers agreed to go to a restaurant to have dinner with Chucao.

They used disposable dishware and the atmosphere was reported as relaxing.

Medical expert said healthy people who have dinner with HBV carriers would not become infected as transmission does not occur through daily contact.

Chucao hoped the news would help get rid of people’s discrimination of HBV carriers. (ANI)