This is madness.Does the Anambra state government know anything at all about HIV/AIDs and how its ravaging the populations health in Sub-Saharan Africa Nigeria not excluded? Somebody should call them to order.Approximately 220,000 people died from AIDS in 2006 alone. With AIDS claiming so many people's lives, Nigeria’s life expectancy has declined according to UNAIDS and HIV prevalence among 15-24 year old women was 5.7 in 1999, 5.9 in 2001 and 5.4 in 2003.The reduction seen in the prevalence is due to more awreness about HIV and how it can be prevented. How can a whole state government who should be assisting and help fight HIV/AIDS now say abstinence is the answer.Please those that thought of this as the solution need to be educated as they are most definitely not.

This only goes to support any theories and beliefs that Africa is "backwards." How can we, those living in Western countries who are knowledgeable of development issues in Africa, explain this to others? I'd love to see the numbers for those with HIV/AIDS, other sexually transmitted infections, as well as pregnancy rates at this time next year in Anambra State. It's good to see that Anambra lawmakers have taken their citizens hurdling towards the 1980's.

When Robert Mugabe speaks about people giving into Western pressure when they vote for MDC, he sounds crazy, and he most likely is. But to read the words of the Anambra State Health Commisioner say that condoms have incurred moral laxity is truly an outrageous play to Western politics. I am sorry for my President, the murderer of millions, but there is no excuse to buy into his "abstinence only" campaign. I feel that he is personally responsible for bolstering a foolish idea among the Evangelical Prostestants of the Anambra State, and hold Bush at least partially responsible for the tens of thousands that will perish if this legislation in Anambra stands. I am so, so sorry for this outside influence which encourages horrendous national politics in Nigeria.

You (partially) blame Bush and the West for the "abstinence only" approach and condemn Western tactics to try to curb the spread of HIV-AIDS, yet the very influences you condemn are also the ones who introduced the condom and other contraceptive devices! Perhaps the issue that needs to be addressed is family values and integrity at home rather than a ban on the use of contraceptives...

it is never unprecedented to see that nature is under threat, but it is most unfortunate to see that the threat is founded on error (human assumptions). the reckless believe and trust in an artificially manufacteured condom as a reliable avenue for stealing sex (having sex outside marriage), is indeed unfounded in any morally organised environment like ours (Nigeria-Anambra). Although i do not belive in the so-called UN research on HIV/AIDS that has never told the world about the number of HIV/AIDS candidates in US, Britain and other European countries.this UN research body holds that South Africa has the most HIV/AIDS patients in the world. However condoms are flying aroud every street corners in South Africa provided by the government and never to be sold (free) yet the UN body rated SA first in the world, irrespective of freecondoms in all government administrations and parastatals. so it is reasonable to stick to our reach and deep rooted value system to combart premature sex. experts say that condom is not 100% safe and an atom of the virus can make one get AIDS so what is the neee for condom crusade?

If condoms shoul be ban anywhere at all, it should not be for sex reason only; but government of Anambra should have another very good reason for banning it.Also some goverment officials should be very careful with some of thier crazy idea.This so-call policy shows that Anambra government does not care about the health of his people.Govenment of Anambra should revoke the policy at the right time because the victims of HIV/AIDS will increse drastically in a couple of months. Busola Lagos.

i have a feeling the governor must have had an illicit affair that almost destroyed his tenure and HE is trying to cure his personal problems by compelling everyone else to follow the solution for HIS own short coming...who made him God? every adult has a right to make their own mistakes, y is he trying to run peoples personal lives?so r police officers going to go around searching people for condoms? wat happens when they find one on a person? wuld he be locked up or shot?how totally foolish!! he must be loosing his objective and focus...how totally insane...

HERE WE GO AGAIN THIS IS THE RESULT THAT A COUNTRY GETS WHEN IT ALLOWS MONEY MISS ROADS,UNENLIGHTENED AND SHALLOW MINDED PEOPLE TO BUT THEIR WAY INTO POWER,I DO NOT THINK THAT THE COMISSIONER AND GOVERNOR ARE PARENTS TO ANY CHILD AND I WONDER IF THEY MARRIED THEIR WIVES AS VIRGINS .LETS BE REALISTIC THIS IS THE 21 CENTURY AND OUR LEADER SHOULD START THINKING IN THE SAME DIRECTION.I WONDER IF THEY WILL ALSO BAN THE USE OF ELECTRIC LAMPS AND ASK PEOPLE TO USE KEROSINE LAMPS INSTEAD

I wonder in any part of the world where a responsible government will ban the use of condom and abortion even if the pregnancy will put the woman at the risk of loosing her life.Now we're showing the whole world the kind of leaders that we have.leaders that can not protect the citizens.I hope that the bill did not pass through the state legislator? What is the qualification of that comissioner? Who is she and where does she come from? The comissioner must appologise to the citizens of Anambra State,to Nigeria and to the whole world and must resign with immediate effect.

I wonder in any part of the world where a responsible government will ban the use of condom and abortion even if the pregnancy will put the woman at the risk of loosing her life.Now we're showing the whole world the kind of leaders that we have.leaders that can not protect the citizens.I hope that the bill did not pass through the state legislator? What is the qualification of that comissioner? Who is she and where does she come from? The comissioner must appologise to the citizens of Anambra State,to Nigeria and to the whole world and must resign with immediate effect.

I am also wondering why any responsible government will ban the use of condom and abortion even if the pregnancy will put the woman at the risk of loosing her life.

First, if this is politically motivated to score cheap points, he should withdraw this comment, it is offensive to some of us that live outside Nigeria.

The focus should continue to be abstinence and the use of condone. I am also wondering how this law will affect married men who exploit these girls because of their economic condition.

POVERTY AND HIV/AIDS IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

According to Cohen "There are two bi-causal relationships which need to be understood by those involved in policy and programme development. These are:

* the relationship between poverty and HIV/AIDS -- which includes the spatial and socio-economic distribution of HIV infection in African populations, and consideration of poverty-related factors which affect household and community coping capacities; and * the relationship between HIV/AIDS and poverty -- understanding the processes through which the experience of HIV and AIDS by households and communities leads to an intensification of poverty.

To make sense of these relationships there has to be an understanding of the complex socio-economic processes at work in African societies, together with a conceptualisation of poverty which is multi-dimensional. It follows that analysis of the issues has to encapsulate:

* the gender dimensions of poverty -- in particular that the poorest households are often female headed; * the intergenerational aspects of poverty -- the importance of seeing poverty as part of dynamic social, economic and political processes; * the qualitative as well as quantitative measures of poverty -- giving appropriate weight to those aspects of poverty which delineate and define capacities and contributions by individuals and households to socio-economic and political processes, and how these are changed by the epidemic; and * the ways in which the HIV epidemic alters the complex relationships between the poor and the wealthy -- through changes in income and asset distributions brought about by the epidemic and through an intensification of processes of social exclusion"

we must understand the root of the problem before we open our mouth to score points Mr straighttalk

I'm Holy Spirit filled and I don't understand why morality is dosed out in droves without one dose of compassion for those like us living with the virus. It almost feels like a cospiracy to me. I abstain now by choice, yet when I was sexally active, and with a partner, condoms were a vital part of our lovemaking not just to protect myself but him as well from other stds and pregnancy. Here in the states under the Bush administration we had to speak to abstinance if we were going into schools, churches, conferences..and that's all good, but our youth are now turning up infected at alarming rates and I never thought I'd see myself in the face of so many, many young people again. I thought I'd be dead by now. But I'm living and seeing the spread of this chronic killer infest the WORLD how many times over? Condoms protect, medicine protects, and yes abstaining protects and it is us who must fight for our rights to be protected so we can care for those who have no rights. Protest loudly, walk in peaceful shoes, write, write, write and send, send, send and be one in our cause, and pray for our twisted thinking leaders that God drown their minds in His wisdom and pray for ourselves, for God gave life and frankly, cutting condoms will allow life to come, but will also bring swift death with it. And remember until theres a cure there is Love..peace, love, responsibility, honesty..I am the cure.

I don,t believe Dr. Amobi Ilika, the Anambra State Commissioner for Health and a university don said what was credited to him. But if he did,I don't believe he was speaking the mind of the state legistaors and the Governor of the state. He was either speaking for himself or for some religious group. With a boureoning student population and West Africa's largest mobile market located at Onitsha in Anambra State; with an un-ending culture of wife enheritance and all other antecedents that drive the HIV epidemic in his state, this commissioner for death (sorry, health)must be unserious if what was credited to him about ban on condoms is true. Certainly no interventionist organization preaches condom in isolation, the message has always been "if you cannot hold body, then use condom".It will be interesting to know how many of the youths in Anambra state can "hold their body". About 5 years ago I worked for an International Organization in Nigeri's South-South zone. The intervention was on prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV. There was this very religious elderly widow who had spent her life's resources training her three daugthers in the university. Neither the widow nor her religion wanted to hear anything about the condom. One weekend, the first daughter, a medical doctor was brought home dead. She had been living with the virus without the moyher's knowledge and at time the druds were scarce and costly. Two weeks after her burial, the immediate younger sister,a young gaduate still undergoing the mandatory National Youth service was rushed home terminally sick. Working on the theory of witchcraft, the mother did not believe the girl when she confessed to her mother that she wasm dying of AIDS. Two weeks later she was dead. At the grave side, the religious leader in the area held the widow and was consolling her, but she fled off his hands, grabbed the only surviving daugther and said in her dialect: "if using the rubber is the only way you can survive to take care of me and bury me at my old age, please use the rubber" The religious leader shouted "No", but before he knew it, the bereaved widow pushed him and he fell into the grave. Another cultural abomination!

I am an Anambrarian, and it is a pity to note the epic proportions of the decay, disorderliness and nonchalance going on in that state. Anambra State has been turned into a mockery and a backward state for her unfortunate indigines because of the gross incompetence, lack of foresight of the people that hold the reigns of power in this endowed Ibo land. How art the mighty (intelligent group) reduced to mediocrity! Where will we tell this?

The Hon. Commissioner and his Department should please note that we are living in the 21st century. I am sure that he studied abroad...but I do not know where such people lost their brains along the line. Or do they stuff sand into them as soon as they step into Anambra State?

This is sad! Who is this commissioner of Health. What are his affliation? What is MDCN, NACA and civil society groups doing? If he is a Catholic and wish to propogate her doctrines issue as this, for a seculiar state then this is Very sad. His pronoucements are enough to call in the International Court of Justice (Hague). His is advised.