Winneba (C/R), Dec. 3, GNA - The Awutu-Effutu-Senya District AIDS Committee on Thursday, organised a "Walk" in the major towns and villages in the area as part of the activities marking World AIDS Day. Mr Solomon Kwashie Abbam-Quaye, District Chief Executive, Mr Charles Ashalley Djane, District Monitoring and Focal Person on HIV/AIDS and Mr Emmanuel Sodja Martey, District Youth Co-ordinator of the National Youth Council, jointly led the Walk at Winneba. A statement after the programme signed by Mr Ashalley Djane on behalf of the Committee, expressed regret that the number of AIDS victims in the district had increased astronomically within the past three years and charged the people to exhibit credible sexual habits needed to fight the pandemic.

There are 110 HIV/AIDS positive people in the District a situation, which should be of great concern, the statement said and appealed to religious and traditional leaders, heads of departments, corporations, agencies and institutions and women's advocacy groups to sensitise the people on the devastating effects of the pandemic.

The socio-economic and cultural development of the District and the nation would be severely affected if the people continued to maintain their "uncontrolled sexual behaviours," the Committee noted. It commended the hundreds of people, including Assembly Members, religious leaders and other social and opinion leaders who took part in the five-hour exercise and advised those in their reproductive ages to be extra careful about their sexual activities.

The statement counselled the "un-married" youth to either abstain completely from pre-marital sex or use condoms and asked couples to remain faithful to their partners to protect them from the disease.