China removes ban on foreign leprosy sufferers

A ban on foreign leprosy sufferers and their relatives entering China was lifted on Sunday, in a bid to end discrimination against them, a quarantine official said Thursday.

Xia Wenjun, an information officer with the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ), said that as well as the removal of the general restriction, which had been in place since 1989, a guideline issued on June 2 by BOCOG, which prevented those with the disease from entering China during the Games, was also retracted.

"The reason we lifted the ban is because China has made a commitment to the international community to end discrimination against leprosy sufferers," Xia said.

On June 2, the United Nations Human Rights Council passed a resolution on the elimination of discrimination against people with leprosy and their family members. China was one of 44 countries that sponsored the agreement, according to the UN's website.

"The rule does not just apply to the Olympics, but will remain in place after the Games," Xia said.

Leprosy is a chronic disease, which if left untreated can cause permanent damage to the skin, nerves, limbs and eyes.

Figures from the World Health Organization show that last year there were 224,717 registered cases around the world, with the majority coming from underdeveloped and developing countries, such as India and Brazil.

In China, 3,264 cases were reported, most of them in southwestern regions.

Despite its debilitating effects, experts have stressed that leprosy can be treated and is not highly infectious.