Axim (W/R), July 25, GNA - The Western Regional Focal person on HIV/AIDS, Mr Abu Mahama, has appealed to District and Municipal Chief Executives in the region to show greater interest in the fight against HIV/AIDS to help reduce it's spread. Mr Mahama made the appeal at a day's workshop for 37 participants made up of chiefs, Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) officials, religious leaders and civil servants from Jomoro, Ellembenle and Nzema East Municipal.

It was organized and sponsored by the Ghana AIDS Commission in collaboration with the Nzema East Municipal Assembly at Axim. The workshop offered the participants the opportunity to discuss knowledge gap, skill gap and cultural practices that contribute towards the spread of the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

Mr Mahama advised traditional rulers to modify cultural practices that were not inconformity with social standards and also appealed to heads of departments to include the campaign against the spread of HIV/AIDS in their budgetary allocation. A member of the Western Regional AIDS Commission, Mrs Cecelia Blankson was not happy that some people still does not believe that AIDS is real and therefore have not change their sexual behaviour. She said until society changed their sexual attitude, it the spread of the disease would not stop.

The Chief of Mezezo a place near Aiyinase, Nana Akye Blay VII, appealed to stakeholders in the fight against HIV/AIDS to involve traditional rulers in their programme to ensure its success.