Ajumako (C/R), July 20, GNA - A community based organisation within the Salvation Army, operating in the Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam District, has assumed the care for nine AIDS patients and 28 orphans at Ajumako Baa. Mr Jonathan Gyewu, the District HIV/AIDS Monitoring and Evaluation Focal Person who disclosed this to Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Ajumako said the measure was to extend care and passion to people living with the disease He said statistics showed that the disease was spreading at a fast rate in the district and that as a measure to curb infection, the District Response Initiative (DRI) had decided to intensify education campaign during the period of the Akwanbo festival, which is held from August to November. He noted that festivals were periods for the spread of the disease and said the DRI would ensure that talks on HIV/AIDS prevention were included in the programme of activities drawn for the festival in each community.

Mr Gyewu appealed to the Ministry of Information to release a cinema van to the DRI for the campaign during the period to enable them screen films on the disease. He expressed gratitude to the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC) for providing 725 million cedis to eight CROs and three NGOs towards the fight against the disease in the district. He said the DRI had put in place measures to ensure judicious use of the money to curb the spread of the disease, which was posing a threat to socio-economic development. Mr. Gyewu commended the district assembly for organising a two-day workshop for the CBOs to prepare them for the task ahead. He appealed to the people to co-operate with members of the organisations and appealed to them to change their sexual behaviour to avoid contracting the disease.