The money used on condoms in Africa would be better spent providing anti-retroviral drugs to those already infected, Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson of Ghana has said.

Cardinal Turkson who is the relator-general of the Second Africa said at a conference that the quality of condoms in Africa is poor and could engender false confidence.

"I would basically wish that the amount of resources which are available to put into the production of condoms, if they were spent to subsidize the anti-retroviral drugs, now I think we would be happier, in Africa, for the availability of the retroviral drugs then," said Cardinal Turkson.

The 60 year old archbishop of Cape Coast said that condoms are effective only in families where they resolve also to be faithful. "The ordinary use of condoms, just as a stop of Aids, is not the given, appreciable resort in our case," the cardinal said.

"We are talking about a product of a factory and there are different qualities. There are condoms which arrive in Ghana where in the heat they burst during sex and when that is the case, then it gives the poor a false sense of security which rather facilitates the spread of HIV/Aids," he added.

He called for abstinence and fidelity saying they are the key to fighting the HIV/AIDS epidemic, along with refraining from sex if infected.