Yendi (N/R), Oct 15, GNA- Mr Mohammed Habib Tijani, Yendi District Chief Executive, on Wednesday launched a book on HIV/AIDS written in Dagbani entitled " Zcmeesi Ka Nin Nyevili", meaning: "Flee from HIV/AIDS and Live" at a two-day workshop on the pandemic at Yendi. Mr Tijani said the book, produced by the Dagbani Literacy Project, has 1,680 copies in circulation.

The Yendi District Assembly is organizing the workshop to equip prospective beneficiaries of the Ghana AIDS Response Fund (GARFUND) with adequate knowledge on the financial management of the fund.

Participants at the workshop are expected to be taken through topics such as: "Receiving of funds", "Source of funding and disbursement", " Procurement procedures", "Introduction to imprest cash book" and " Record-keeping"

Mr Tijani warned the beneficiary Community-Based Organisations (CBOs) of the fund that they would be prosecuted if they misappropriated or diverted the monies.

He said the objective of the Ghana HIV/AIDS Strategic Framework is to reduce new transmission of the disease by 30 per cent by 2006. "It is therefore disheartening to hear that the disease is spreading at an alarming rate in the district", he said.

For example, the district recorded 15 cases of HIV/AIDS from January to June 2002 and 83 cases from July to December in the same year, while 33 cases have been recorded from January to June this year. Mr Tijani said the trend is obviously scaring and requires serious efforts to reverse it.

Mr Jacob Konlaa, the District Monitoring and Evaluation Person on HIV/AIDS, said the Assembly has disbursed 125 million cedis to seven CBOs to carry out education campaigns on the disease for 2002/2003. He said between March and July the Assemblies of God Relief and Development Service, Rapid Response Aid and Dagbani Literacy Project, all beneficiaries of the GARFUND, trained 140 HIV/AIDS peer educators in the district and some of them are already engaged in public education on the disease in their communities.