Bole, Oct. 15, GNA- The Bole District Assembly has set aside 42.6 million cedis being one percent of its 2003 allocation of the Common Fund to promote HIV/AIDS activities to reduce the spread of the disease in the area.

This was contained in a report presented at the close of a one-day HIV/AIDS review and planning workshop held in Bole for members of the District AIDS Committee sponsored by Action Aid Ghana.

The District Budget Officer, Mr Jimah Kipo, said curbing the HIV/AIDS is of priority concern to the Bole District Assembly because the district shared common borders with the Cote d'Ivoire where the disease is prevalent.

The district, he said, has therefore put in place various structures to address the HIV/AIDS situation that includes formation of a district response initiative on the HIV/AIDS, a District AIDS Committee and six Zone AIDS Committees.

Mr Kipo said the assembly, in collaboration with Action Aid Ghana, offered training to all the six Zone AIDS Committees on Journey Of Hope (JOH) and each committee supplied with training kits to enable them operate effectively.

The Red Cross, he said, also undertook an education programme on the HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases to its youth peer educators in schools in Bole, Sawla and Mandari.

Other groups such as the Partners in Participatory Development also distributed seven bicycles to peer health educators and embarked on an education programme for women groups in 10 communities.

The Care for the Deprived Communities, a local non-governmental organisation, received 40 million cedis funding from the GARFund and recently launched its activities on HIV/AIDS prevention and control programme in the Bole District.