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Government and media to blame for AIDS deaths - Church

    JOHANNESBURG

    South African Cardinal Wilfrid Napier has blamed the country's high rate of AIDS-related deaths on the government and the media's lax attitude towards the pandemic.

    Currently in Ireland to accept an award, Napier said it was not the Catholic Church's opposition to condoms that was costing lives, but "the lack of seriousness on the part of the state and media in promoting abstinence and fidelity".

    The Church is frequently criticised over its firm anti-condom stance in the global battle against HIV and AIDS.

    However, Napier rejected this criticism, telling the Irish Independent newspaper, that the real cause of HIV/AIDS was "irresponsible sexual behaviour which condoms do not address. In fact, they reinforce this behaviour."

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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