Ghanaians urged to co-operate with all political parties

Kwahu-Jamase (E/R), Jan. 14, GNA- The Executive Director of the African Peace Network, an International NGO, Nana Alex Adu-Appiah, has called on Ghanaians to co-operate with all the political parties to ensure a peaceful electioneering campaign in the forthcoming presidential and parliamentary elections.

He said since the whole country opted for the multi-party democratic governance, no individual or group of people should do anything to disrupt the peaceful process of electing any party into power.

Nana Adu-Appiah was speaking at a public educational campaign on the HIV/AIDS, organized by the NGO for the chiefs, people and school children at Kwahu-Jamase on Monday.

He advised them to listen and tolerate the campaign messages of all political parties who would visit their communities during the campaign.

On the HIV/AIDS and other sexually-transmitted diseases (STD), the Executive Director said STD's were the causes of barrenness, impotency and infertility and urged them to report all symptoms of STDs to the nearest hospital for treatment.

He said the infection rate of the HIV/AIDS in the District was increasing daily and advised adults to avoid indiscriminate sex and injections from quack doctors.

In an address read for him, the Kwahu South District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Raymond Osafo Gyan, said the two hospitals in the district, the Holy Family and the Kwahu Government Hospitals at Nkawkaw and Atibie respectively, registered a total of 186 HIV/AIDS cases in 2001, made up of blood donors and clinical patients.

He said the figure went up to 263 in 2002, saying as at November 2003, the two hospitals had registered 299 positive cases. The DCE, therefore, advised the youth, who constitute the nation's productive sector, to avoid casual sex from drivers and other people on transit in the area to avoid contracting the disease.