Awutu Bontrase (C/R), March 3, GNA - The Awutu-Effutu-Senya District Co-ordinator for HIV/AIDS, Mr. Emmanuel Nkansah has urged Community Based Organisations (CBOs) and other stakeholders engaged in the fight against the spread of the pandemic to re-package their message to enable them achieve their aims and objectives.

He said the frightening figures on the HIV/AIDS in the District and other districts in the Central Region indicated that though the CBOs were doing their best, much was still required from them to help reduce the spread of the disease in the area.

Mr. Nkansah said this at an HIV/AIDS sensitisation programme organised by the Mother Care, a CBO base in the area on Wednesday at Awutu Bontrase.

He told the CBOs and other stakeholders in the fight against the spread of the pandemic to preach abstinence first before talking about the use of condoms because abstinence had been found to be the best way to avoid contracting the disease.

Mr. Nkansah told the people that the Awutu-Effutu-Senya District placed thirds after Cape Coast and Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem (KEEA) districts on the Regional HIV/AIDS record and urged them to be careful with their sexual habit.

The co-ordinator appealed to the chiefs and people of the Central Region to actively get involved in the campaign against the spread of the HIV/AIDS because the region's present second position on the national HIV/AIDS record was a disgrace to the Region. The chairperson of the CBO, Miss Susana Bortie said because of the weekly marketing in the town, which attracted different kinds of people to the town, there was the need for people to be mindful of their sexual behaviour to avoid contracting the HIV/AIDS.

A thirty-two member Peer Education group was inaugurated to undertake house-to-house campaign to educate the people on the dangers of the disease and the alarming rate at which it was spreading in the country and the Region in particular. 3 March 05