Kumasi, Dec. 29, GNA - Mr Amos Adu Okyere, Official of the Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana (PPAG), has called for increased promotion of condom use to reduce the spread of the HIV/AIDS infection. He said the youth who were unable to abstain from sex must be encouraged to use condom to avoid getting infected. Mr Okyere was addressing an HIV/AIDS Sensitization Durbar held at Aboabo in Kumasi to introduce trained peer educators for selected communities in the metropolis including Adukrom, Ayigya-Zongo, Sawaba, Kotei and Ayeduase.

The programme was jointly organized by PPAG and Salim Plus, a Netherlands-based Non Governmental Organisation dedicated to youth reproductive health.

It also provided the platform to educate the people on reproductive health, family planning and Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT). Mr Okyere asked the youth to have the courage to discuss HIV/AIDS with their peers and form HIV-AIDS clubs in the schools and stay away from narcotic drugs.

Madam Ellen Appiah, PPAG Coordinator in Asante-Mampong, said they had been providing services on safe motherhood, sexual and reproductive health, VCT and family planning services.

She spoke of their readiness to assist the youth in these areas. Madam Sarah Afful, Field Staff of Salim Plus, called for the intensification of the campaign against the spread of the deadly disease. The national prevalence rate of the disease stands at 1.7 per cent while that of pregnant women is 2.2 per cent. 29 Dec. 09