Letter: African aids crisis

Sir: Despite its proscription of condoms, Anthony Carnforth asks why the Catholic Church should share blame over the spread of Aids in Africa (letter,

16 September).

He deludes himself by suggesting that all those heeding RC policy on condoms will also follow its teaching on sex outside marriage.

More disturbing is that Roman Catholic influence in national and local government, and in commerce, impedes condom distribution and supply.

Carol Bellamy of UNICEF recently observed that "Aids killed two million Africans last year, 10 times as many as those who died in armed conflict".

Any truly humanitarian organisation there should be making condoms available free in places where young people gather socially. Such an approach has already been successful in reducing the incidence of Aids among the homosexual population in Britain.

K PORTEOUS WOOD

General Secretary

National Secular Society

London WC1