Yendi (N/R), Jan 15, GNA - An 18-member reconstituted AIDS Committee in the Yendi Municipality has been inaugurated at Yendi in the Northern Region as part of efforts to strengthen the response to HIV/AIDS pandemic.

The committee has the Yendi Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mr Hudu Walvis, as Chairman with the Municipal HIV/AIDS Monitoring and Evaluation Focal Person, Mr Jimah Yakubu as Secretary. The Municipal Coordinating Director, Alhaji Sheihu Awudu Kadri, is member and representative of the Ghana Health Service. In his inaugural address, Mr Walvis said the District AIDS Committee (DAC) is a multi-sectorial committee responsible for HIV and AIDS intervention at the district levels.

He said there is also a District Response Management Team (DRMT) which is made up of the HIV/AIDS Focal Person and representation from the District Health Directorate, District Department of Social Welfare and the Municipal Directorate of Food and Agriculture. According to the MCE, the Ghana AIDS Commission had developed a national HIV/AIDS strategic framework for 2006-2010 and an accompanying five-year programme of work which is developed each year with specific objective of achieving a high percentage of coverage in the seven thematic intervention areas. They include policy, advocacy and enabling environment, prevention and behaviour change communication, research, surveillance, monitoring and evaluation, among others.

Alhaji Sheihu Awudu Kadri reminded the members of the committee that the Ghana AIDS Commission is a body established under the chairmanship of the President of the Republic of Ghana by Act 613 of Parliament.

He stated that the Commision's mandate is to provide leadership in the management and coordination of the national response to the HIV/AIDS disease in Ghana.

Alhaji Kadri said the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies used to receive resources from the Ghana AIDS Commission but that since the beginning of last year the Assembly had not received any support from the Commission.

He announced that the coverage target for Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies was at least 150 members of staff and a minimum of 26,850 residents in the local community.

He urged the committee members to extend their anti-AIDS campain and behaviour change advocacy to the work places. Mr Timothy Kanyebui said the reason why most people were not coming out for voluntary testing was due to the stigmatization of those who are suffering from the disease.

He called on the committee members to intensify their education on behaviour change and the need for compassion for people suffering from the disease.

He said if serious measures were not taken to halt the spread of the disease it would wipe out all the energetic young men and women who are within the productive age of the country's population.