Include HIV/AIDS in curriculum - Ministry of Education urged

Jukwa (C/R), Dec. 21, GNA - The Ministry of Education has been urged to allow schools to create special periods for HIV/AIDS education in schools.

The Reverend Ababia Danquah, Twifo-Heman-Lower-Denkyira District HIV/AIDS Focal Person, said this would enable school children to be abreast with the HIV/AIDS pandemic and to protect themselves against it. He was addressing an HIV/AIDS awareness education campaign organised by Great Crusaders of Jukwa, a Community Based Organisation (CBO), at Jukwa on Friday for chiefs, hairdressers, school children and traditional birth attendants.

He said the teaching of HIV/AIDS in schools would also help to end the stigmitisation and discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS. Rev Danquah said despite the huge sums of money being spent by the government to educate people on the dreadful disease, it continued to spread at an alarming rate.

He appealed to the chiefs and the public to join the crusade against the spread of the disease and to have mercy and compassion for people living with HIV/AIDS to enable them live longer.

The Reverend Ben Donkor, Presiding Member of the District Assembly, said everybody was at risk, adding that, "all should join to preach against the spread of the disease".

He said the government attached great importance to the HIV/AIDS campaign and appealed to NGOS and CBOS to use funds allocated to them for the educational campaign on the disease to use the money for the purpose they were given.

Rev. Donkor appealed to assembly and unit committee members to monitor the activities of the NGOs and CBOs.

Mr Solomon Poku, Chairman of the CBO, asked Chiefs to use at least five minutes to sensitise people during their programmes.

The Reverend Joseph Mensa-Quartson, Pastor in-charge of the Jukwa Assemblies of God Church, appealed to people to change their sexual life styles to avoid contracting the disease.

Ms Silvia Osei Owusu a public health nurse and a resource person who briefed the gathering on the disease, asked them to adhere to the education they were receiving on the disease for their safety. Nana Afrifa Yamoa Ponkoh 11, Domakuahene of the Denkyira Traditional Area, who presided expressed concern about the low attendance of the people at the function and appealed to them to take the campaign seriously.