The cabinet approved amendments to the HIV and AIDS (Prevention and Control) Bill, 2014, on Wednesday, making it illegal to discriminate against people with HIV or those living with them.
The Bill lists various grounds on which discrimination against HIV positive persons and those living with them is prohibited. These include the denial, termination, discontinuation or unfair treatment with regard to:
The requirement for HIV testing as a pre-requisite for obtaining employment or accessing health care or education is also prohibited.
No person or orgnisation can compel someone to disclose ones HIV status without consent or a court order, according to the bill.
There is no financial punishment for the person not complying with the rules. However, the state governments, according to the bill, should appoint people to acknowledge and take actions on the cases under the bill.
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