EU tells African govts. to ignore bushgang's advice on AIDS [View All]

[donsu]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/christmasappeal2005/story/0,16796,1654865,00.html


Europeans reject abstinence message in split with US on Aids

· EU urges African nations not to heed Bush agenda
· Condoms 'most effective' weapon against pandemic


Europe, led by the UK, last night signalled a major split with the United States over curbing the Aids pandemic in a statement that tacitly urged African governments not to heed the abstinence-focused agenda of the Bush administration.

The statement, released for World Aids Day today, emphasises the fundamental importance of condoms, sex education and access to reproductive health services. "We are profoundly concerned about the resurgence of partial or incomplete messages on HIV prevention which are not grounded in evidence and have limited effectiveness," it says.

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"We, the European Union, firmly believe that, to be successful, HIV prevention must utilise all approaches known to be effective, not implementing one or a few selective actions in isolation," it says.

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"In reality, people have sex ... much as conservative evangelists in the US might prefer that they didn't," said Andrew George, the Liberal Democrat spokesman on international development.
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glad to see saner minds are taking charge