KAMPALA, Dec 1 (AFP) - Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni said Monday that more than 75,000 Ugandans died of AIDS last year and called on parents to participate more in educating their children about the disease.

"Last year, 75,290 people died of AIDS in this country, while another 71,000 contracted the disease," Museveni told the nation during ceremonies marking World AIDS Day at Kololo airstrip in northeastern Kampala.

"The AIDS scourge is a threat to mankind and parents should use all means available to stop its apread. All means, including media, especially radios, should be used to educate youth about the dangers of careless sex," he said.

Monday's ceremony was attended by 12 housemates of TV reality show Big Brother Africa, invited to participate in Uganda's anti-AIDS campaign, said to be one of the best in the world.

"Our people are dying of AIDS and yet there are options like abstinence. If you cannot abstain then use condoms," Museveni added.

Uganda is one of the world's worst-hit countries.

About a million people have died of the disease since it was first diagnosed in the east African nation in 1982, leaving more than two million children who have lost either one or both parents to AIDS.

But the country is known for having managed to scale down its infection rates from 30 percent in early 1990s to 6.2 percent currently, through aggressive public campaign and openness about the disease.

A statement faxed to AFP earlier indicated that of the 75,290 people who died of AIDS last year, 28,760 were women and 17,000 were children.

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