South Sudan faces higher AIDS danger: minister

Sept 10, 2006 (KHARTOUM) — Sudanese minister said HIV/ AIDS danger is higher in south Sudan compared to other parts of the country, the Khartoum Monitor daily reported Sunday.

Alison Manani Magaya, Minister of Labor, Public Service and Manpower Development, made the remarks while addressing a graduation ceremony of an HIV/AIDS training program on Saturday, said the daily.

The minister attributed the serious situation to the return of a large amount of refugees from neighboring countries, which according to him have a high HIV/AIDS prevalence.

“The challenge is how to reduce the danger in south Sudan,” said Magaya, adding that tests and propaganda on HIV/AIDS would be carried out in the reception camps of refugees.

He said that the rate of the disease among the Sudanese population had reached 2.6 percent and could become close to three percent in the near future, noting that the increase would reduce population, labor, production and the economy of the nation.

“The youth and students die in a great number of HIV/AIDS and they need to be made aware of its dangers,” he said, asking the youth not to have sex before marriage.

He warned that without exerting more efforts, the dangers of HIV/AIDS could reach a much higher level and millions of people could become victims of this disease.

(Xinhua)