Hep B Activist finished his third thousand-mile hike, appealing to reduce the price of Hep B drugs

Chuang Lei, a hepatitis B activist, and more than 10 volunteers, made their third ascetic hike for a thousand miles to Beijing in order to make suggestions to include hepatitis B drugs in the National Essential Drug Catalogue so as to reduce the financial burden for hepatitis B patients to use the drugs. This time, Chuang Lei set out from Ulan Qab, Inner Mongolia, and arrived at the Beijing branch of National Health and Family Planning Commission on July 30^th after twenty days’ hike. Staff at the complaint office of the National Health and Family Planning Commission accepted the Feasibility Research Report on including the front-line anti-hepatitis B drugs in National Essential Drug Catalogue submitted by Chuang Lei and a suggestion letter, and the Commission indicated that they will to submit relevant materials to related departments and bureau.

Chuang Lei remarked that in China, over 20 million hepatitis B patients spend RMB several hundred to RMB 1,500 per month on drugs, which is a huge financial burden for them. This hike to Beijing was in the hope to draw public attention to hepatitis B patients by way of ascetic actions, as well as, to trigger the reform of health policy on the national level that will include hepatitis B drugs in the National Essential Drug Catalogue, in order to relieve the financial burden of hepatitis B patients to use the drugs.

It is reported that this is the third time that Chuang Lei went on a hike to Beijing. In 2013 and 2014 respectively, Chuang Lei submitted similar suggestion letters to Beijing on a hike.

During this hike to Beijing, Chuang Lei did not walk alone. From the first day of the trip, over a dozen of volunteers from all around China had accompanied Chuang Lei, and most of them are not hepatitis B carriers.

Zhang Jian, a hike volunteer, is a disabled person who has completed16 marathon games on wheelchair. His relatives are hepatitis B carriers, so he joined as hike volunteer with his wheelchair and completed the whole course.

Haizhu is a sophomore at China Three Gorges University. She participated in the whole process of hike. Previously, she participated in sending letters appealing for reduction of hepatitis B drug price launched by Chuang Lei. This time, Haizhu wished to further support Hepatitis B group in the hike, and also to set a new challenge for herself.

Xiaojing, a hike volunteer, is a hepatitis B carrier born in Yanbian, Jilin province. This year, she specifically resigned from her job in the Republic of Korea and returned to China to participate in the hike. She paid attention to Chuang Lei’s hike to Beijing last year, but could not take part in the hike to Beijing in 2014 for other reasons. Therefore, she resigned this year and returned to China in order to support Chuang Lei’s philanthropic act. Xiaojing’s boyfriend also resigned from his job, returned to China and followed Xiaojing to support the hike to Beijing.

Qinghong, a hike volunteer, is a hepatitis B carrier. Although he did not complete the whole course this time, he comes and accompanies Chuang Lei for about ten days each year. This is the third year he participated in the hike.

The cost of Chuang Lei’s hike to Beijing was raised from netizens’ donations on Tencent Le Juan public interest platform. At present, almost 2000 people made donations of approximately RMB 80,000.

During the journey of his hike to Beijing, Chuang Lei did not stop despite of rain and hardships. In Inner Mongolia, he walked for a whole day without seeing a single restaurant, and could only eat instant noodles for food. If there is no accommodation on the way, he will stay overnight at villagers’ homes. He walked 50 kilometers at most, and arrived at the scheduled destination at midnight.

Press reports on this hike:

Health News: http://www.39yst.com/xinwen/292868.shtml

New Beijing Times: http://news.sina.com.cn/o/2015-07-28/024032152983.shtml

Guangzhou Evening News: http://news.sina.com.cn/o/2015-07-21/143932131165.shtml

Hohhot Evening News: http://difang.gmw.cn/newspaper/2015-07/11/content_107813960.htm

Zjknews.com: http://www.zjknews.com/news/dujia/201507/22/113894.html

About Chuang Lei:

Chuang Lei, China’s most famous rights advocate for hepatitis B group. He once sent a letter to deans of 1983 institutions of higher education and 524 members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences appealing for elimination of hepatitis B discrimination. In 2009, he successfully obtained the first health certificate for practitioners in the food industry in China as a hepatitis B carrier.

In 2013, Chuang Lei made his first hike to Beijing. He started from Shanghai, and arrived at the Beijing branch of National Health and Family Planning Commission for a whole course of 1600 kilometers. In 2014, Chuang Lei made his second hike to Beijing, starting from Huludao for a whole course of almost 500 kilometers.