Obuasi, Jan 8, GNA - The Obuasi Municipal Assembly (OMA) has decided to use sporting activities to spread the message on HIV/AIDS amongst the youth in the Municipality.

The motive behind the idea is to help check the spread of the pandemic amongst the youth who are considered the nation's future leaders.

The Assembly in its effort to draw much public awareness therefore organised the first HIV/AIDS run in which over 90 youth including Fuseini Amoasi, a disabled took part. Kamal Musah, a student placed first followed by Solomon Coffie, also a student.

Yaw Chief, 11 and Eunice Azubilla, 13, were the youngest boy and girl respectively who took part in the three-kilometre run. Kwame Amoako, 41 and Vida Grace Mensah, 46, were rated the oldest male and female participants of the run. Mr Ernest Yaw Kwarteng, the HIV/AIDS Focal Person for the Municipality in an address, said everybody had a role to play in ensuring that appropriate policies and programmes were implemented to deal with the HIV/AIDS menace and its ravaging effects. He said that 93Everybody should make a contribution either through a promise to support the Ghana AIDS Commission and its work or to promote the campaign with the involvement of other friends and relatives". Mr Kwarteng expressed concern about the way society treated HIV/AIDS patients and said that was aggravating the problem of the victims.

"What is even more worrying and disturbing is that while the society has put a stigma on 91People Living with HIV/AIDS' (PLWHA's) as being immoral individuals, the tendency for our religious and community leaders to exclude such people on the basis of theology of sin and taboos has even aggravated the situation". He said all stakeholders therefore had a major role to play in helping the society to change their negative attitude towards the PLWHA's.

Mr Kwarteng also urged society to help curb the menace through awareness creation since 93in the world of HIV/AIDS, silence is deadly".

Madam Grace Asiam, the Municipal Sports Development Officer, noted that the infection was spreading fast in the municipality and that efforts had to be put in place to check its spread.