Ghana to prevent HIV and promote environmental cleanliness

Bunso (E/R), Feb. 11, GNA - The Ghana Education Service is to support the promotion of environmental cleanliness and the fight against HIV and AIDS through the school system.

Under the programme, 600 focal persons from each of the Senior High an= d Technical schools in the country and 300 personnel representing all the District Directorates of Education in the country including School Health Education Project Co-ordinators (SHEP), are being trained at Bunso Cocoa College on environmental cleanliness and the prevention of HIV and AIDS. The training programme, which had been programmed in batches, started in October last year and the last batch of the trainees are expected to complete by the end of this month.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency Ms Ellen Osei, one of the facilitators of the programme, said the focal persons from the schools woul= d be expected to organize further training for the children in their schools. They will monitor them as a way of helping to effect behavioural chang= e among them towards the prevention of the spread of HIV and promotion of environmental cleanliness.

She said the school children were expected to pass on their trainin= g to their peers out of school and their parents and help in the fight agains= t the spread of HIV/AIDS in the country and the promotion of environmental cleanliness.