Pat Robertson. The US television network that carries preacher Mr
Robertson's daily programme apologised on Monday for his false claim
that visitors to Kenya could contract Aids from towels. PHOTO |
COURTESY
“Dr Robertson
misspoke about the possibility of getting Aids from towels,” the
Christian Broadcasting Network said, in a posting on Facebook.
“CBN recognised this error immediately and removed that statement from the online archive. CBN apologises for any confusion.”
The
84-year-old conservative evangelist warned on his “700 Club” show on
October 16 that travellers should take stringent health precautions
while in Kenya.
““You might get Aids in Kenya,” Mr
Robertson told his estimated one million viewers. “People have Aids.
You've got to be careful. I mean, the towels could have Aids.”
Mr Robertson's claim was quickly challenged by groups active on Aids issues.
They
noted that the US government's Office of Women's Health says the virus
that causes Aids cannot be spread through “sharing food utensils, towels
and bedding, telephones, or toilet seats.”
RISKS OF VISITING KENYA
Mr
Robertson's remark came in response to an emailed question from an
anonymous viewer who expressed concern about the risks of visiting Kenya
during the Ebola crisis in Africa.
He assured the
questioner that there have been no cases of Ebola in Kenya, which, he
noted, is far from the epicentre of the outbreak in West Africa.
But Mr Robertson cited the danger of contracting other diseases in Kenya in addition to Aids.
Mosquito
bites can result in serious illnesses, he said, adding, “The sanitation
isn't what it ought to be. You drink the water, it's not sterilised,
you can get intestinal bugs.”
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