Winneba (C/R), Aug. 4 GNA- The Awutu-Effutu-Senya District Chief Executive, Captain Steve Kwamena Armah (RTD) has expressed concern about the increasing number of HIV/AIDS cases in the district. He has therefore called on all Ghanaians to get involved in the fight against its spread.

Captain Armah said the number of persons infected with HIV in the district for 2002 was 66 and that the figure increased to 93 in 2003. He said this in an address read for him at the speech and prize-giving day celebration of the University Practice Primary and JSS at Winneba on Tuesday. Captain Armah said the figure could be higher since not all people affected by the disease attend hospital. He told the youth that the best way of getting away from the disease was complete abstinence.

Captain Armah said the country was in very challenging times where majority of parents especially those in the rural, urban and poor communities have lost control of their children due to poverty. He said violence of all forms is on the ascendancy especially cases of rape and defilement and noted that time has come "for us to reflect on what went wrong and apply the good moral values that our fathers and mothers used in nurturing us into responsible adults". Book prizes were given to deserving pupils and teachers.