There is no doubt in it that precise application of condom is best to bring under control the spread of AIDS. However, voices of resentment and dissonance are heard still and that leads to disputation.

The same has again come to the fore and this time it is Guyana’s Health Minister Leslie Ramsammy, who (also as the President of World Health Assembly) denounced Pope Benedict’s call for ending condom use in the fights against AIDS. According to him, the Pope was trying to sow confusion with intent. He was found belligerent while addressing a news conference, “The statement by the Pope is inconsistent with science, it’s inconsistent with our experiences and it is not in sync with what Catholics have experienced and believe.”

What makes the Health Minister of Guyana so furious? It ought to be remembered that Leslie Ramsammy is regarded by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) as a foremost proponent in the fight against HIV and AIDS. It may be that he has regarded Pope Benedict’s attempt to “create confusion” and “impede” proven strategies in the battle against the disease as a personal assault.

He regarded the declaration of Pope on condom use as “absolutely and unequivocally wrong” and in accordance with his views, continuous use of condoms is not superficial at all and on the contrary is the integral part of an overall strategy that takes account of education, fidelity and monogamy.

Is the conflict going to settle down or become less restless? No, it can’t be since Leslie Ramsammy has optimistic plans to intensify it. As per the latest information, he is planning to mobilize support among colleague health ministers of the 15-nation Caribbean Community (Caricom). They are predominantly Roman Catholic.

“Whilst I would hope that Catholics would continue to be extremely supportive of their church and the pope … on this issue, they (should) rely on the evidence, and we need at this time to come out forcefully with the evidence to demonstrate that condoms and lifestyle matter,” said Ramsammy.