Queenmothers and religious leaders attend workshop on HIV/AIDS

Mamponteng (Ash), Aug. 24, GNA - Alhaji Ahmed Akwasi Yeboah, Kwabre District Chief Executive, said the promotion of girl child education and the training of the youth in vocational and technical skills to enable them set their own businesses could help prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS in the country.

Alhaji Yeboah who was opening a two-day workshop for Queenmothers, religious and community leaders in the Kwabre District at Mamponteng on Tuesday, expressed worry that young girls were engaging in prostitution to enable them to earn a living, contributing to the spread of HIV/AIDS.

The workshop which was being organised by Compassionate Care Foundation, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) and supported by the Ghana AIDS Commission aimed at equipping the participants with the requisite knowledge and skills in combating HIV/AIDS and how to deal with people living with HIV/AIDS.

Mr Emmanuel Anniboye, Kwabre District Director of the National Commission for Civic Education, attributed some of the society's social problems partly to the importation of foreign culture and said there was there need for a cultural revival in the country.

Madam Alice Boateng, Executive Director of the NGO, noted that HIV/AIDS was spreading at an alarming rate in the country and called on individuals and organisations to support the Government's efforts at fighting the disease.

She said the NGO has a total of 35 people living with HIV/AIDS made up of 25 adults and 10 orphans.

Madam Boateng said she was optimistic that if people stop the stigmatisation of and discrimination against people with HIV/AIDS, more people would with the disease would volunteer to join the campaign to prevent its spread.