27 September 2007

Archbishop claims condoms infected with HIV

This is another one of those news stories which I thought must be a joke when I first saw it but according to the BBC Archbishop Francisco Chimoio ,the head of the Catholic Church in Mozambique, has stated a belief that some European-made condoms are deliberately infected with the HIV virus "in order to finish quickly the African people".


Archbishop Chimoio told the BBC 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 have been angered by the remarks: "We've been using condoms for years now, and we still find them safe," Mozambican Aids activist Marcella Mahanjane told the BBC. it is estimated that 16.2% of Mozambique's 19m inhabitants are HIV positive with an additional 500 infections every day.


The archbishop's assertion on infected condoms is preposterous and ranks alongside that of Gambia's president, Yahya Jammeh, who has claimed to be able to cure the disease by rubbing a green herbal potion into people's bodies. Creating scare stories about condoms is counter productive and will do nothing to prevent another 500 people becoming infected in Mozambique today.

5 comments:

Liz Hinds said...

It is so sad when things like this happen.

Welcome to Blogpower! It's good to see a labourite joining to balance the scales a little.

jams o donnell said...

Thanks Liz. I thought about joining for a while. Chomoio's views really do nothing to help a grave situation in Mozambique

Anonymous said...

Whatever the problem... abstinence is the solution!

Maybe the clerics should set an example by abstaining from making stupid pronouncements.

jams o donnell said...

That would be a damn good idea Roger!

Siani said...

What a brainless, petty, malicious and bigoted old fool. AIDS spreads in Africa through ignorance and unsafe sex - and people listening to buffoons like him, instead of health workers. When I hear of idiocy on such a grand scale, in a context where lives are at risk, I get very, very cross. Does he not realize that the HIV virus can only live outside the human body for a very short period of time, as in seconds? And then only if it is suspended in some kind of liquid. In dry form, it dies immediately. Does he truly believe what he preaches? Or is he just trying to scare people into adhering to his religious beliefs? Silly old fool!