Johannesburg — A VISITING US congressman has expressed concern about SA’s inability to significantly reduce the level of new HIV infections despite education and prevention campaigns.

US Congressman Donald Payne, chairman of the House subcommittee on Africa and global health, told Business Day on Friday that something was amiss about SA's efforts to prevent new infections. This in turn threatened SA's future because the infections affected the youth.

Payne said the "ABC" policy, stressing abstinence, being faithful and wearing a condom, was not having the desired effect, particularly in preventing new infections among young people. For the youth, the focus should be on abstinence, he said.

"The concept of abstinence would have been an ideal message targeted at the youth," Payne said, adding that he believed the multi-approach message of prevention was not striking a chord with many people.

His visit follows the recent approval by President Barack Obama of a five-year, 48bn budget for HIV treatment and prevention strategies in developing countries , almost three times that of former president George Bush's 15bn.

Payne was in the country on a fact- finding mission to identify political interests and areas of co-operation between the Obama administration and President Jacob Zuma 's government.

"The two new administrations have a lot to explore ," he said.

Later during the weekend, Payne and his team were headed for Zimbabwe and a meeting with Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and senior representatives of President Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF.