More African countries adopt Uganda policies against AIDS

Madrid, Spain, Dec 16, 2004 / 22:00 pm

A Spanish magazine focusing on African issues, “Mundo Negro” (“Black World”) is reporting that other African countries, especially Ivory Coast, are adopting the anti-AIDS policies of the Ugandan government, which are based on abstinence.

In Ivory Coast, 12% of those aged 15-39 are infected with AIDS, and in some areas as many as 20%.  Because of the positive results in Uganda, which has seen the number of those infected by AIDS drop significantly in ten years from 15% to 5% thanks to emphasizing changes in lifestyle more than the use of condoms, Ivory Coast has decided to follow suit.

Christine Nebout-Adjobi, who is directing the fight against AIDS, told Mundo Negro, “It is very clear that the condom, or the condom alone, is not the solution.  We must affect the habits, the profound values of the people, their moral values.  In Uganda this is what they have done and it is going very well.”

“If you have seen the ads against AIDS on television, which are paid for by our Ministry, the order in which these things are presented is abstinence, fidelity and lastly, the condom,” she added.

The anti-AIDS Ministry is working a project to help raise awareness in young people about moral values, including a pamphlet for young people aged 15 to 18 entitled, “The Trivialization of sex is corrupting our society.”