Mr Seth Wiafe Dankwa the Akuapem South Member of Parliament has said the rate at which HIV/AIDS is spreading in the district was alarming and called for pragmatic approach to sensitise the public.

He said community based and non-governmental organisations must adopt a consistent house-to-house visit and discuss with the people the reality of the disease and the negative impact it continues to have on the people.

Mr Wiafe Dankwa made the call at a one-day workshop on HIV/AIDS organised by the Adoagyiri-Zongo Community Based Organisation at Zongo near Nsawam at the weekend.

He said the rate of orphans in the District as result of death of both parents through the disease had increased by 15 percent from last year, saying it was enough indication for all stakeholders to put shoulders to the wheel to fight the disease and reduce it to the barest minimum.

Miss Saally Agyemang, the Akuapem South District Field Officer of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), has called on parents to be more responsible to their children and send them to school, and not to push their girl-child of school going age into early marriage.

She said parents should consider their wards as the most worthy assets they have and should spend adequate time, energy and money on them instead of spending lavishly on their personal material things.

Miss Saally Agyemang urged parents to discuss with their wards matters relating to sex in order to sensitise them on its negative impact and how badly pre-marital sex could ruin their life.

Mr Umaru Farouk, the Executive Chairman of the community-based NGO involved in the anti-HIV/AIDS campaign, advised parents who cannot afford to send their male child to health centres for circumcision, to ensure that local Wanzams sterilise their blades before using them on the child.