Mrs Fati Saaka, Nkoranza district HIV/AIDS Focal Person, has urged teachers to educate their students on the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
Mrs Saaka was addressing about 1,000 students of St. Theresa’s, Girls Model and Anglican Junior High Schools, all at Nkoranza, during a quiz competition.
The competition was jointly organized by the Nkoranza District Assembly and the school Health Education Programme Unit of the District Education Directorate as part of activities to mark World AIDS Day celebration held late last year.
Mrs Saaka, who is also the Nkoranza District Deputy Coordinating Director, expressed her concern about how the disease was spreading in the communities, in-spite of the intensified education on it.
“Since the youth are the vulnerable, it is very prudent for teachers to show concern about it and educate the students on the pandemic”, she said.
She urged the students to form virgin and abstinence clubs to promote good moral development to enhance discipline in the schools.
Mrs Eva Saku, Nkoranza District Public Health nurse, said HIV/AIDS was real and advised students to avoid pre-marital sex.
She urged them to shun early sex and take their education seriously to enable them to become responsible people in the future.
Mrs Saku deplored the negative attitude of some people to stigmatize persons living with HIV/AIDS, stressing “every one is at risk and could contract the disease”.
Mr Kwasi Gyan, Nkoranza District Coordinator of school health education programme, called on teachers to organize regular quiz competitions on health issues, to promote environmental sanitation and personal hygiene among students.
He commended the Nkoranza District Assembly and the Ghana AIDS Commission for sponsoring the quiz competition to create awareness on HIV/AIDS.
The Girls Junior High School obtained 34 points to annex the first position and was followed by St. Theresa’s Junior High School with 31 points and Anglican scoring 28 points.
The schools received cash awards of GHC 50, GHC 40 and GHC 30, respectively, while the contestants were given five exercise books and a “T” shirt each.
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