Saltpond (C/R), April 1, GNA - The Mfantseman District Directorate School Health Education Programme (SHEP) has trained 107 school health club leaders in the area as peer educators on HIV/AIDS at a workshop. Danish Fund for International Development (DFID), a non-governmental organisation (NGO), sponsored the three-day workshop and participants were selected from primary schools in the district.

Patrick Arko, Saltpond Circuit Supervisor, Mr Charles Enchil, officer in charge of training and courses and Mr Reemans Osei Bonsu, SHEP co-ordinator, all of the district directorate trained the participants. They were taken through HIV/AIDS, peer education techniques, care and support for people living with AIDS and other topics.

Mr Osei Bonsu said the workshop focused HIV/AIDS programmes on pupils because they are the nation's "window of hope". He cautioned the pupils against considering boy-girl friendship to mean sex partners adding " You can take a friend from the opposite sex to be as a friend but that does not mean that he or she is your sex partner."

Mr Charles Enchil admonished the pupils to go to a recognised health institution for treatment when the fall sick and to patronise the services of quack doctors. He asked participants not to discriminate against people living with HIV/AIDS but to have compassion for them.