Klefe-Atsatime (V/R), July 17, GNA - Mr Edwin Darkey, Volta Regional Director of the National Population Council (NPC), on Thursday called for the ban of traditional and cultural practices that promote the spread of HIV/AIDS.

He mentioned wife inheritance, male and female genital mutilation, trokosi and polygamy as practices that affect interventions for the spread of the pandemic.

Mr Darkey was speaking at a symposium for school prefects and student leaders in the Klefe/Ziavi Circuits of the Ghana Education Service (GES) on HIV/AIDS.

The symposium, which was attended by 180 participants, had the theme: "Highlighting on the need for Virgins and Abstinence Clubs in Basic Schools".

It was organised by the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) under the auspices of the Anointed Fellowship Ambassador (AFA), a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO).

Mr Darkey called for an all-inclusive approach towards the modernisation or total eradication of those cultural and traditional practices to make both governmental and non-governmental efforts at curbing the disease.

Mr Ken-wuud Nuworsu, Regional Co-ordinator of NADMO, said his organisation's intervention was to prevent the HIV/AIDS from spreading. Mr Kofi Lucas, a Director of AFA, said the participants would form Virgins and Abstinence clubs by extolling the virtues of abstinence for the control of the disease.