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African archbishop says condoms deliberately infected with HIV
BBC
Friday, September 28, 2007
The head of the Catholic Church in Mozambique has told the
BBC he believes some European-made condoms are infected with HIV
deliberately.
Maputo Archbishop Francisco Chimoio claimed some anti-retroviral
drugs were also infected "in order to finish quickly the
African people".
The Catholic Church formally opposes any use of condoms, advising
fidelity within marriage or sexual abstinence.
Aids activists have been angered by the remarks, one calling
them "nonsense".
"We've been using condoms for years now, and we still find
them safe," prominent Mozambican Aids activist Marcella Mahanjane
told the BBC.
(Article continues below)
The UN says anti-retrovirals (ARVs) have proved very effective
for treating people with Aids. The drugs are not a cure, but attack
the virus on several fronts at once.
The BBC's Jose Tembe in the capital, Maputo, says it is estimated
that 16.2% of Mozambique's 19m inhabitants are HIV positive.
About 500 people are infected every day.
'Serious matter'
Archbishop Chimoio told our reporter that abstention, not condoms,
was the best way to fight HIV/Aids.
"Condoms are not sure because I know that there are two
countries in Europe, they are making condoms with the virus on
purpose," he alleged, refusing to name the countries.
"They want to finish with the African people. This is the
programme. They want to colonise until up to now. If we are not
careful we will finish in one century's time."
Aids activists in the country have been shocked by the archbishop's
comments.
"Condoms are one of the best ways of getting protection
against catching Aids," said Gabe Judas, who runs Tchivirika
(Hard Work) - an theatre group that promotes HIV/Aids awareness.
"People must use condoms as it's a safe way of having sex
without catching Aids," he told the BBC.
Archbishop Chimoio, who made the remarks at celebrations to mark
33 years of independence, said that fighting the disease was a
serious matter.
"If we are joking with this sickness we will be finished
as soon as possible.
"If we want to change the situation to face HIV/Aids it's
necessary to have a new mentality, if we don't change mentality
we'll be finished quickly," he said.
"It means marriage, people being faithful to their wives...
(and) young people must be abstaining from sexual relations."
Our correspondent says the archbishop is well respected in the
country and the Catholic Church played a leading role in sponsoring
the 1992 peace deal that ended a 16-year civil war.
Some 17.5% of Mozambicans are Catholic.
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