Madagascar will distribute 15 million free condoms

A senior official with Madagascar's national AIDS committee says the island nation plans to distribute 15 million free condoms next year as part of a campaign to promote safe sex and control the spread of HIV. The cheapest accessible condoms are the Protector brand, but at a cost of five U.S. cents they are still far too expensive for many, said Fenosoa Ratsimanetrimanana, the committee's executive secretary. Madagascar has promoted condoms before, but this will be its first-ever purchase for free condom distribution. Antenatal clinic surveys suggest that about 1.1% of the poor nation's 17 million population are HIV-infected, according to the World Health Organization. That is an increase from the 0.16% prevalence in 2000. (Reuters)