The Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC) has begun distributing free condoms to hotels in the country in advance of the 2008 African Cup of Nations soccer tournament, to be held this year in Ghana from January 20 to February 10, reports the Nigerian newspaper Vanguard (vanguardngr.com, 1/10).

The commission plans to distribute 5,000 condoms to the hotels, hoping to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS during the tournament, which more than 1 million foreign visitors are expected to attend. The United Nations is helping to support the plan.

According to the article, Professor Sakyi Awuku Amoa, the GAC’s director general, has stated that unprotected sex is a major cause of new HIV/AIDS infections in Ghana. He also said that young girls should not be enticed by offers of money for unprotected sex from visitors.