Tamale, July 1, GNA- The Youth Action on Reproductive Order (YARO), an NGO in Tamale working against the spread of HIV/AIDS, on Republic Day embarked on a Marathon race in Tamale to educate the public to abstain from casual sex.

More than 300 school children selected from all the Basic Schools in the Metropolis took part in the three-and-half hour race dubbed, "Republic Day Abstinence Run", which ended at the Tamale Training College (TATCO).

Mr Douri Bennin Haji, Executive Officer of YARO said teachers were also suffering from the disease hence the involvement of teachers in the programme.

He appealed to the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the Ministry of Education Youth and Sports to introduce the teaching of HIV/AIDS and its dangers as an examinable subject at the basic school level.

Mr Haji explained that it would equip children with useful information about the dangers of the disease.

He challenged this year's Presidential aspirants to tell Ghanaians about their plans of combating the pandemic when voted into power. Mr Iddrisu Abdul Karim, Tamale Metropolitan HIV/AIDS focal person commended the group for embarking on such race and that there was the need to constantly educate them.