Religious leaders urged to inculcate morality among the youth

Ho, July 4, GNA - Reverend James Afele, Acting Moderator of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Ghana (E.P Church) on Tuesday called on church leaders to continue to pray for the youth in the country to appreciate the existence of HIV/AIDS.

He stated that it was only prayer that could reveal the real situation of the pandemic to the youth, who he said, were adamant to change their behaviour.

Reverend Afele said this at an International Workshop on HIV/AIDS treatment literacy for church leaders in the Ho Municipality. The E.P Church in collaboration with the Ecumenical Pharmaceutical Network organized the two-day workshop.

Reverend Afele noted that though the country had gone far in awareness creation about the disease, poverty and lack of attitudinal change on part of the youth had been a drawback to its success. He therefore called on church leaders to preach about the pandemic everyday and also take practical steps to help people living with the disease.

"Don't discard people living with the disease. Rather, speak to them about positive living and encourage the uninfected on how to live safely", Reverend Afele advised.

Dr Tim Letsa, Acting Volta Regional Director of Health Services, underscored the need for stakeholders in HIV/AIDS issues to look back at young people to ensure behavioural change in them.

He said workshops should be used as a new window of hope for people living with the disease and as machinery to help the youth. Dr Letsa recounted several interventions made by the government to curb the insurgence of the disease in the country and urged church leaders to complement those efforts by inculcating moral values into the youth.