Tetrem (Ash), Dec 31, GNA- The management of Bonte Gold Mine Limited has organised a one-day education forum on HIV/AIDS for 11 communities within its catchments area.

Chiefs, opinion leaders, assembly members, unit committee members and the executive of the mines union attended the forum that had as its theme "Keeping HIV/AIDS at Bay- Total Community Involvement." Speaking at the forum Dr Kwabena Opoku Adusei of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital said the spread of the pandemic could be controlled through behavioural change.

He said even though the disease can infect everybody, women were more vulnerable for various reasons including their inability to protect themselves.

Dr Opoku Adusei said the government had negotiated for the sale of anti-retroviral drugs that will cost about 50,000 cedis a month and would start in January 2004 at designated points notably the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) and the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.

In a welcoming address, Mr Michael Turkson, the Mines Superintendent, said keeping HIV/AIDS at bay is a big task and called on the participants to initiate programmes involving the communities to keep the pandemic under control.