CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) -- U-S Senator Barack Obama is adding his voice to the chorus of international criticism of South Africa's AIDS policies.

During an appearance in South Africa Tuesday, Obama said the government is underestimating the extent of the problem and needs to do more to prevent and treat the disease.

Obama met with AIDS activists and Nobel prize winner Desmond Tutu on the second day of his two-week African tour. He also visited a hospital with H-I-V positive women.

Obama says there's an "enormous" amount of denial about AIDS in the community and that's partly because of denial among government officials.

The Illinois Democrat also said he plans to take a public AIDS test when he visits his late father's home village this week to try to dispel the stigma surrounding the virus in many African countries.