Tempane (U/E), Sept. 4, GNA - A Community-Based Organisation, known as Tempane Community Against HIV/AIDS (TEMCOMAIDS), was on Saturday inaugurated by the Garu-Tempane District Coordinating Director, Mr Gilbert Nuru-Teg at Tempane in the Upper East Region.

TEMCOMAIDS, which has 24 peer educators catchments area, aims at bringing the HIV/AIDS message to the doorsteps of the rural folk. Inaugurating it, Mr Nuru-Teg said that the HIV/AIDS message could only achieve its intended impact when peer educators themselves refrain from promiscuity in their communities.

He said behavioural and attitudinal changes of the people were the pre-requisites demanded from HIV/AIDS campaigners, adding, they needed to lead by example Mr Nuru-Teg noted that the promising life styles of the people, calls for a sustained and aggressive public education drive to confront the spread of the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

He appealed to the people to patronise the health institutions to seek better health care in order to prevent avoidable deaths, stressing that, the national health insurance scheme was meant for all, irrespective of ones financial status.

The coordinating director, also urged the people to refrain from cultural practices such as female genital mutilation, tribal marks, which has the tendency of increasing the risk of being infected with the virus.

The Bamen East municipal focal person on HIV/AIDS, Mr Osman Apusiga said the rise in the prevalence rate of the disease, called for a more pragmatic and bold approach to combat it.

He said the Bawku area recorded a total of 280 cases between 1999-2003, adding that this has weakened the area's human resource base, which does not augur well for development.

Mr Apusiga urged peer educators to intensify their campaigns to ensure that the message reaches all the communities within the district. The chairman of TEMCOMAIDS, Mr Dominic Abanga, in his welcome address, called for total support from the people to ensure that the objective of the CBO in fighting the pandemic is achieved.

He said the CBO, which comprised determined personnel would work relentlessly to bring about a total change in the behaviour and attitude of the people.

Mr Abanga called for compassion for HIV/AIDS victims and advised all not to shun the company of people living with the disease.