Kumasi, May 21, GNA - United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has assisted Ghana Education Service (GES)to train 19,876 peer educators on HIV Alert School Model in seven regions in the country since 2003. They are, Ashanti, Central, Western, Eastern Northern, Upper East and West Regions.

Mrs Cynthia Bosomtwi-Sam, National Programme Co-ordinator of GES School Health Education Programme (SHEP) announced this at a two-day training of trainers' workshop for 21 regional SHEP Co-ordinators and GES Chief Inspectors of Schools on HIV Alert School Model in Kumasi on Tuesday.

She said within the same period, 5,057 school-based health teachers were trained with 4,000 HIV/AIDS manuals so far printed to be distributed to School Management Committees (SMC) and Parent Teacher Associations (PTA). Mrs Bosomtwi-Sam said with funding from the World Bank 150,249 pre-tertiary teachers had been trained in all the 10 regions in the country.

She noted that HIV infection had the potential to affect attainment of the Millennium Development Goal on universal basic education, the quality of teaching and learning and human resource development in the country.

Mrs Bosomtwi-Sam explained that, the Alert School Model was to harmonize HIV prevention interventions at the basic school level, address the varying gaps in the current school HIV prevention activities, mobilize and co-ordinate HIV prevention intervention. She noted that, the model would enable GES to respond appropriately on its responsibility to the national strategic framework. Mr Joseph Kwabena Onyinah, Ashanti Regional Director of Education said HIV/AIDS had been incorporated in the Education Strategic Plan (ESP) 2003-2015 and Annual Education Sector Operational Plan (AESOP). He said the priorities included identifying and promoting STI/HIV and AIDS prevention, care and support at all levels of education and integrating them in the curriculum. Mr Onyinah urged the trainers to involve and collaborate with school health teachers to intensify peer education activities.