The Integrated Youth Needs and Welfare, a Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) into Youth Development and Welfare, says it is intensifying Peer Education on HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) in schools in the Upper East Region.

Speaking to the GNA in an interview, the Director of the NGO, Mr Issah Ibrahim, said since 2003, his outfit had formed a lot of peer educators’ clubs as focal groups in primary and Junior High Schools.

He indicated that those Peer Educator clubs had been trained to teach their colleagues reproductive issues which he said had helped to reduce teenage pregnancies and STDs among school children in the Region.

“Through the support from UNICEF and the National Youth Council, the Integrated Youth Needs and Welfare has also organised video outreach programmes in Bolgatanga, Kassena Nankana, Bawku and Sandema among others”.

Mr Ibrahim noted that this time around, his outfit would step up more educational programmes on HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) in schools in the Region viewing the importance of the problem.

He indicated that it would also organize Health Talks and Seminars on Adolescent Reproductive Health Issues, child labour and Drug abuse.

He noted that last year,30 youth were given rabbits to rear on pilot bases which yielded positive results since many of the students sold some of them to cater for their schooling.

According to him, an Information and Communication Technology centre would soon be established in Zuarungu, which is a very deprived area, to cater for students.**