A total of 5,671 people in the Brong Ahafo Region are believed to be infected with the HIV/AIDS virus, Mr. Isaac Justice Gyabea, a member of the Sunyani branch of the Students AIDS Control Programme said at the weekend.

Speaking on the dangers of HIV/AIDS at the 70th anniversary celebration of the Sunyani Methodist Diocesan Women's Fellowship at Nkoranza, Mr. Gyabaa said the figure came out of a research conducted by the National Aids Control Programme from 1999 to 2000.

He gave the breakdown of the rate of infection in the districts as: Techiman 1,721, Sunyani 956, Dormaa-Ahenkro 691, Berekum 556, Wenchi 376, Jaman 322 and Kintampo 662.

Others are Nkoranza 256, Tano 168, Asunafo 164, Atebubu and Sene 101, and Asutifi 98. Mr. Gyabaa expressed concern about the fast spread of the disease in the region and advised people to avoid casual sex.

The secretary of the fellowship, Madam Sussana Kontor, advised the youth in the church to be careful about their sexual habits, and urged them to spread the message about the dangers of AIDS.