Mr Daniel Syme, the Upper East Deputy Regional Minister has reiterated government’s commitment to ensure that HIV/AIDs were eradicated in the country.

He was speaking on Thursday in Bolgatanga at a mid-year review meeting organised for project accountants and HIV/AIDS focal persons to review performance and to strategize activities for effective implementation of district response programmes.

The Deputy Minister said every district, municipal or metropolitan assembly had been mandated to use 0.5 per cent of its funds for HIV/AIDS activities to sensitize communities on the management of the pandemic.

He therefore urged participants to reach out to all communities and to ensure that the funds were judiciously used for their intended purposes.

He noted that though HIV/AIDs were widely known, it was time for people to master the courage to go for voluntary testing and treatment to reduce infections.

He encouraged the teams to work hard, continue with the education and fight away chastisement and stigmatisation against people living with HIV/AIDS.

Mr Nuhu Musah, the Northern Regional Coordinator, GAC, in charge of Technical Support Unit (TSU) in a statement, reminded participants to use resources judiciously in the light of dwindling donor fatigue, and ensure stigma free working environment by promoting HIV workplace programmes at the district level.

“We must all endeavour to implement interventions that will promote sustainability of regional and district HIV programmes in order to reduce the regional HIV prevalence further down, if not to zero,” Mr Musah stressed.

District HIV/AIDS focal persons also took turns to give reports of their activities of the year under review and ways to improve upon their work.