Traditional leaders get tough HIV/AIDS

ZAMBIA: Traditional leaders get tough HIV/AIDS

JOHANNESBURG, 11 Oct 2005 (PLUSNEWS) - Traditional leaders in central Zambia on Monday banned cultural practices they said were fuelling the spread of HIV/AIDS in their chiefdoms.

Sex-related rites such as early marriage, incest, sexual cleansing and the use of sexual potency herbs were among the list of outlawed customs. The country has an adult prevalence rate of 16 percent.

Deutsche Presse-Agentur quoted senior chief Mukuni Ngombe as saying, "We have a problem as per our tradition, where we are allowed to marry up to 10 wives - let us stop this trend now as HIV/AIDS is wiping us out."

High-risk traditional practices have now been banned in two of Zambia's nine provinces so far.

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