Obuasi, Sept. 18, GNA - Fifty security personnel from the Police Service, Prisons Service and Urban Guards have attended a day's workshop on HIV/AIDS at Obuasi.

Topics discussed included reproductive health, signs and symptoms of sexually transmitted infections (STI), HIV/AIDS control and management and the proper use of condoms.

Community Development Agency (CDA), an Obuasi-based non-governmental organization (NGO), organised the workshop. Opening it, Mr Edward Osei, the Adansi West District focal person on HIV/AIDS, asked the participants to consider HIV/AIDS as a war on the society and urged them to design strategies to combat the pandemic. He said: "As security men and women with a lot of training, you should device strategies at the barracks that will protect your families against the pandemic."

The District Focal Person warned NGOs against the misapplication of funds from the Ghana AIDS Commission for HIV/AIDS prevention. Mr Hafix Adam, Deputy District Co-ordinating Director, advised the security personnel to be faithful to their partners and to educated their children on dangers of early sex.

The Programme officer of CDA, Mr Ben Atiga, said the organisation had plans to reach out to a larger group about the realities of the pandemic.