The use of condoms provides us with a solution that ensures we scale down the rate of the epidemic

South Africa Aids charity

But one of them, Bishop Kevin Dowling, disagreed and said condoms should be seen as a way of preventing death, not life.

Aids charities have described the bishops' refusal to relax the condoms ban as unfortunate.

Back-up needed

The director of the National Association of People Living with Aids, Nkululeko Nxesi told Reuters news agency: "The use of condoms provides us with a solution that ensures we scale down the rate of the epidemic.

"You need a back up system and condoms provide that".

The bishops' statement ignored increasing calls for the Catholic church to lift its opposition to the use of condoms to prevent the spread of the virus.

Health workers have asked community leaders, including the clergy, to help promote the use of condoms.

An estimated 25 million Africans have Aids

A leading Catholic newspaper in South Africa had called on the church to relax its blanket ban, saying married couples should be allowed to use condoms in cases where one spouse was HIV positive.

There are an estimated 25 million Aids sufferers in sub-Saharan Africa.