Assembly organises seminar on AIDS for hairdressers

Nkoranza (B/A) Aug. 2, GNA - Mr. Solomon Obeng-Danquah, Nkoranza District HIV/AIDS focal person has advised the youth to offer themselves for voluntary testing and counselling on the pandemic to know their health status and to become cautious in life.

He advised hairdressers and barbers to be cautious about their activities since their work directly or indirectly was a potential source of the spread of the pandemic.

The focal person was addressing hairdressers, barbers and National Service personnel in Nkoranza at a day's seminar organised by the Nkoranza District Assembly to sensitise them on the causes, mode of transmission, effects and how to combat the pandemic.

Mr. Obeng-Danquah commended the National Service Secretariat for choosing the theme, "The role of National Service Personnel in the fight against HIV/AIDS" for the celebration of this year's National Service Week.

He said the theme was very appropriate since the fight against HIV/AIDS was the concern of all for the major challenge that it posed to the development of countries.

Madam Alice Volerto, Nkoranza District Public Health Nurse, a resource person, emphasized that the youth who are the sexually active people are at risk to contracting the infection and advised the participants to avoid casual sex.

She asked them to adhere to the A B C advice against the spread of the pandemic and urged the public to dispose of used condoms appropriately.

Mr. Obenefo Nimoh, Co-ordinator of the District School Health Education Programme advised young girls not to allow the love for money and worldly pleasures to drive them into illicit sexual practices as they risked contracting the pandemic.

Mr. Raphael Alorwu, District Coordinator of the National Service Personnel, expressed gratitude to the District Assembly for organizing the seminar to support their programme.

He advised the participants to take the knowledge they would acquire about the pandemic seriously and to abide by the advice given and join the campaign against its spread.

Mr. Hayford Kyereh, Deputy District Coordinating Director, called on the artisans to pay their respective taxes to the Assembly to enable it to render the necessary services to enhance the development of the district.

In an address read on her behalf,, the Queen mother of Nkoranza Traditional Area, Nana Yaa Duadaa Kaii, appealed to the youth to be very careful about their sexual habits, "since the nation needs your support as future leaders for the development of the country".

A quantity of male and female condoms from the Ghana Health Service in Nkoranza as well as hand-outs to educate the people on the HIV/AIDS pandemic were distributed to the participants.