Service Personnel advised to live morally upright lives

Gambaga, (N/R), June 1, GNA - National Service personnel have been advised to live morally upright lives to serve as role models in the communities in which they work.

They should desist from sexual promiscuity, drunkenness, smoking and the use of profane language when addressing elders in the communities or the pupils they teach, since the people tend to copy the kind of lifestyle they would portray.

Mr Yamenu Albert, the Gambaga District Coordinator of the National Service Scheme, (NSS) gave this advice when he addressed a workshop on HIV/AIDS organised for service personnel in the district to sensitise them on the disease and build their capacity to be able to educate the people to fight against its spread.

He said since about 75 per cent of service personnel were working in the remote areas they were the best people to effectively carry out the campaign against the spread of HIV/AIDS in the communities. Mr S.Y. Inusah, District HIV/AIDS Focal Person expressed regret that although about 90 per cent of Ghanaians were aware of HIV/AIDS only 15 per cent of them took precautionary measures to protect themselves against the disease.

He said in 2001, East Mamprusi, together with Bolga, Bawku and Walewale recorded 192 cases of AIDS while in 2003 149 cases were recorded. Some of the service personnel suggested that in future, condoms should be distributed to them when they were sent on postings to the rural areas.