Nkawie (Ash), Aug 20, GNA- Mrs Beatrice Appah, Atwima District Director of Health Services, has said that asking the youth to use condoms encourages promiscuity among them. She said instead, emphasis and focus should be on complete abstinence and behavioural change.

Mrs Appah was speaking at a training workshop for the first batch of 30 out of 200 targeted HIV/AIDS volunteers organised by the AIDS Volunteers Ghana Association (AVGA), an NGO in collaboration with the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC) at Nkawie on Tuesday.

The workshop formed part of a one-year project to reduce vulnerability and impact of HIV/AIDS in ten selected communities being undertaken by AVGA in the Atwima District

The workshop coincided with the launch of the project, which was attended by chiefs, opinion leaders, assembly members, heads of educational institutions, church leaders and NGOs.

They discussed HIV/AIDS campaigns among the various age groups, providing counselling and caring for people living with the disease, and training of anti-AIDS clubs.

Mrs Appah charged the volunteers to work hard to reduce the rate of infection in the district and educate them to lead upright lives. Miss Angela Akua Boakye, Executive Director of AVGA, appealed to Ghanaians to care for those living with the disease. 20 Aug. 03