A Kenyan man has been ordered by authorities to pay a fine of 850,000 shillings ($5,600;£4,400) after he revealed an alleged HIV status of a friend in a WhatsApp group.
Africa Today News, New York reports that the ruling came from the HIV and Aids Tribunal in Kenya, who said that a person’s HIV status should not be disclosed to third parties without consent.
The complainant said that as a result of the message in the WhatsApp group, which had 170 members, he faced discrimination and is now undergoing counselling because of the psychological toll it had taken.
He went on to add that the accusation had caused a rift in his marriage and denies the disclosure given in the WhatsApp group.
He has also been awarded 3,000 KE shillings in special damages.
Read Also: Hepatitis B Spreads Faster Than HIV, Expert Says
Meanwhile, in a cautionary message to the public, Dr. Adiri Winfred, a consultant Gastroenterologist and Hepatologist at the Godfrey Okoye University Teaching Hospital (GOUNTH) in Enugu, Nigeria has highlighted that Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) is 100 times more infectious than HIV.
During a gathering in Enugu, organised by GOUNTH and sponsored by Emzor Vaccines to observe the ‘2023 World Hepatitis Day’ with the theme ‘One Life, One Liver,’ Dr. Adiri Winfred educated the participants about the dangers of Hepatitis, notably B and C, and also caution about its rapid spread.
Africa Today News, New York reported that the attendees were opportune to undergo free Hepatitis tests at the facility.
The expert said the available medication cannot eradicate the virus, stressing that one thing about it is ‘when integrated into patient’s DNA, it becomes difficult for eradication.’
Describing Hepatitis B as dangerous, she pointed out that doesn’t have a cure, and the treatment approach is focused on reducing the virus.