Developed Countries Urged to Help Africa More

A number of African church leaders have appealed to developed countries to step up their levels of aid and financial support to poorer countries on the African continent.

Catholic Archbishop Telesphor George Mpundu of Lusaka in Zambia called on developed countries to invest more money into the development of effective medicines and vaccinations to combat Aids and malaria, which have killed millions on the African continent.

He said that malaria was largely overlooked as one of Africa's most deadly diseases, pointing out that some 60 per cent of all deaths in Zambia were from malaria, reports the AllAfrica news agency.

"It is the number one killer among us. If Europe or the United States were similarly affected, the situation would be very different. But as it is, the industrial nations are indifferent, since it is only Africans who are dying," said Archbishop Mpundu during a visit to Germany last week.

He called for money earmarked for armaments to be spent on developmental aid and medical provision for poor countries instead.

Archbishop Mpundu claimed that poor health was stunting economic growth in developing countries. "You can't achieve progress with sick people," he said.

He said that the only cure for the spiralling rates of HIV and Aids - currently between 15 and 20 per cent in Zambia - was chastity and faithfulness within marriage.

"We say no to condoms. Condoms offer a false sense of security and are no solution," he said, adding, "We refuse to play Russian roulette with human life."

He also called on Zambians to change their sexual behaviour: "People must learn to respect the gift of sexuality and learn how to deal with it."

Bishop Joseph Abangite Gasi of Tombura-Yambio in Southern Sudan, meanwhile, has urged developed countries to do more to help the poor and suffering in the region.

The levels of wealth in developed nations are "unimaginable" to people in Southern Sudan, he said in a visit to Australia last week to thank people there for their continued humanitarian support.

"Seeing what I have seen in Australia, you can do more - in fact, I would expect more definitely," Bishop Gasi said, according to the Archdiocese of Adelaide's newspaper The Southern Cross.

"We need moral support to continue with the peace process and the reconciliation, all the things that have happened we should remember so they don't happen again."

He told the Sudanese community that "home is improving" despite the continued hardships and that the Sudanese Government and churches were working together to overcome the violence and tribal clashes.

While resources remain scant within Bishop Gasi's diocese, one positive area of growth remains the church. Turnout at Mass remains high and the diocese is well stocked with 50 seminarians and 400 catechists.

"Christian life is still moving; it is very vibrant in spite of the war," Bishop Gasi revealed. "In fact, the war has encouraged people to be more practising in their religious lives, every Sunday we have a huge number of people."