Cape Coast, April 18, GNA - Mrs Georgina Annan, Senior Nursing Officer at the Cape Coast District Hospital has appealed to the youth to join in the crusade to stem the spread of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. She said since the disease was commonly found among the youth, their active involvement in the AIDS sensitisation programme would help minimise its spread.

Mrs Annan made the appeal at an HIV/AIDS workshop for 30 peer educators drawn from the Twifo-Heman-Lower-Denkyira, Abura-Asebu-Kwamankese districts and the Cape Coast Municipality. The workshop organised by New Life International, Ghana, a non-governmental organisation and sponsored by the Ghana AIDS Commission, is on the theme: "Live Let's Live."

She urged the youth to change their sexual lifestyles and to use the condom if they could not abstain.

Mrs Annan appealed to members of the public to have compassion on persons living with the disease and provide them with the needed care. Mrs Susana Mensah, Cape Coast Municipal Focal Person on HIV/AIDS said the government attached importance to the programme and urged the peer educators to take their work seriously to justify the huge sums of money being spent on their training.

Ms Ruby Ayivor, Director of the NGO, which also caters for orphans appealed to organisations to contribute to the welfare of orphans. Participants were taken through topics like sexual reproductive health, behavioural change, voluntary counselling and personal hygiene.