Ho, June 29, GNA- The prevalent rate of HIV/AIDS in Ho Municipality increased from 2.6 per cent in 2005 to 4.2 per cent in 2006. Mr Gregory Amenuvegbe, Ghana Health Service Volta Regional Focal Person on HIV/AIDS who announced this at Ho on Thursday, said the increase might be due to reduction in the HIV/AIDS prevention campaign and some of the people risked their lives in spite of their knowledge about the disease.

He was addressing a stakeholders meeting to review a report on Strengthening HIV/AIDS Partnership in Education (SHAPE 11), a project initiated in the Ho Municipality by Ghana Red Cross with sponsorship from World Education, an International NGO. Mr Amenuvegbe deplored the attitude of some HIV/AIDS patients on antiretroviral drugs who indulged in casual and unprotected sex when their conditions improved.

The project under the School's Health Education Programme of Ghana Education Service (GES) and targeted at the youth, parents and teachers is to prevent the spread and impact of HIV/AIDS in Ghana. Mr Victor Ntumi, Director of AFRIWEB, a local NGO caring and supporting HIV/AIDS patients, said about 450 patients were currently under their care within the municipality.

He said efforts to prevent the disease should be in line with programmes to eliminate stigmatisation.

Mr Larry Yeboah, Volta Regional Coordinator of Ghana Red Cross Society said the SHAPE programme had created awareness and interest of parents in the 20 project schools to discuss reproductive issues with their children.

He said the programme had also progressively reduced teenage pregnancy in schools over the past three years. Miss Rosemond Keteku, Ho Municipal Director of Education implored teachers to build good morals in their pupils as part of the schools' improvement performance plan.