Women are often discriminated against in the workplace. (Photo : www.wantchinatimes.com)
Two regular packages containing HIV-antigens were recently found by authorities at Beijing Capital International Airport. To prevent an HIV outbreak in the country, Chinese quarantine officers and medical experts are calling for stricter quarantine checks and procedures.
The two packages with HIV-antigens are just among the 29,400 international parcels and luggage that were intercepted for the first three quarters of 2015 for allegedly containing dangerous and illegal substances. The current figure represents a 2.1 percent increase from last year.
Since only 3 percent of regular packages are checked by quarantine officers at random, authorities conclude that the haul only represents a fraction of illegal parcels delivered to the country.
According to Zhou Xiaoping, the parcels containing HIV-antigens were declared as regular chemical products. Due to this, the packages were exempt from quarantine examination.
"The products are allowed to be delivered through the post or by delivery services under the condition that they go through quarantine procedures and obtain the approval from authorities. Companies and research institutes, with the qualification of managing the substance and with reasonable purpose, will be given the green light," said Zhou in an interview with China Daily.
HIV-antigens, according to Deputy Director He Xiong from the Beijing Center for Disease Control, are usually used by biochemical and pharmaceutical companies for research and development. However, HIV-antigens also carry the risk of polluting the environment and endangering public health if not handled properly.
Aside from random checks at the airport, He advised for the implementation of more routine checkups to avoid hazards.
Jia Ruixiang, an officer in charge of parcel quarantine examination, also suggested the use of up-to-date technology.
Public awareness can also encourage people to declare the contents of their packages honestly.
Beijing Capital International Airport processes an average of 12,000 deliveries every day.
