CBOs cautioned against misapplication of GARFund.

Saltpond (C/R), Jan. 16, GNA - The Mfantseman District Co-ordinating Director, Mr Alfred T.A. Ahumah, has cautioned organisations financed by the Ghana AIDS Response Fund (GARFund) to campaign against the spread of HIV/AIDS in the district to intensify their campaign or have the contracts abrogated.

He admonished the campaigners to assess the impact of their work so far on curbing the spread of the disease and change their methodology where necessary.

The DCD was addressing a workshop for leaders of eight new community-based organizations who had had their proposals approved by the Ghana AIDS Commission at Saltpond on Thursday.

Mr Ahumah advised them to lead lifestyles, which would make people see them as true AIDS campaigners.

He said the district would be monitoring the infection rate at the time they started their work and would check the rate at the time they finished the work to assess whether they did a good job or not. Mr Jonathan Benefo, District HIV/AIDS Focal Person suggested that AIDS campaigners should be made to go for voluntary counselling and Testing (VCT) to enable them to know their HIV/AIDS status.

He cautioned against transferring GARFund into private accounts, stressing that separate accounts should be opened for it and warned that anyone who misapplied the GARFund would be handed over to the police for prosecution.

Nana Baah VII, chief of Nankesido and chairman of the District AIDS Committee expressed concern about the wearing of dresses, which stimulated sexual desire and appealed to parents and churches to help curb the practice.

The leaders of the CBOs were taken through financial management and reports writing.