Education on HIV/AIDS to be integrated into school curriculum

Nkoranza(BA), Sept. 27, GNA - Education on HIV/AIDS is to be integrated into basic school and Senior High School curriculum to create more awareness for the youth and students, Mr Kwabena Agyemang-Badu, Nkoranza District Director of Education said at Nkoranza. He said this was to make the youth to be careful about their health habits to avoid contracting the disease.

Mr Agyemang-Badu announced this at the opening of a three-day HIV/AIDS workshop for 300 Primary and Senior High School teachers drawn from communities in the district at Nkoranza. The workshop under the theme: "Teachers - Agents of Dissemination and Change" is to involve teachers in HIV/AIDS education programme since teachers are role models in the communities.

Mr Agyemang-Badu stressed the need for teachers to endeavour to help to educate children about the causes and effects of the disease while they guard against negative practices that could make them victims of the disease.

He urged teachers to encourage the formation of virgin clubs in their schools to enable the youth shun pre-marital and illicit sex and rather concentrate on their education to improve on their academic performance in the communities. Mr Agyemang-Badu advised the participants to take advantage of the counselling and testing unit at Saint Theresa's Hospital to undertake voluntary counselling and testing.

Mrs Fati Saaka, Deputy Nkoranza District Coordinating Director, said HIV/AIDS was a global health problem that every country was working hard to control to save lives of their citizenry. She urged Ghanaians to participate in the crusade to combat the spreading of the disease to enhance development in the communities. Mrs Saaka commended the Nkoranza District Directorate of Education for organizing the workshop for teachers to help in the HIV/AIDS campaign to save lives especially the youth who were vulnerable to the disease.

She expressed appreciation to Ghana AIDS Commission for the measures and activities towards the control of HIV/AIDS and urged Ghanaians to participate in their programmes to move the nation forward. Mr Gyan Kwasi, Nkoranza District School Health Education Programme(SHEP)Coordinator said about 700 teachers would participate in the workshop and advised them to educate people in the communities. He urged the public not to stigmatise people living with HIV/AIDS but rather offer them the necessary care, attention and support to encourage them, adding "everyone is at risk to contract the disease".