Cyclist undertakes AIDS campaign

TECHIMAN, Ghana, October 31 -- Mr Shisu Alhaji Yakubu, an advocate on youth issues, who is on a nation-wide cycling tour as part of the public education on HIV/AIDS, on Tuesday advised the youth and unmarried persons to abstain from pre-marital sex as a means of minimising the spread of the disease.

Mr Yakubu explained that the tour, which is under the theme: "Behavioural change of the youth towards sex", is aimed at increasing awareness about the disease and to encourage the use of condoms.

Speaking at a public forum at Techiman, Mr Yakubu said the spread of the disease in Africa has assumed an alarming proportion, with high infection rates among persons in the productive age group of 19-29 years.

He said in sub-Sahara Africa, there are 25 million people living with the disease, adding that the pandemic is spreading in Ghana at a very fast rate.

Mr Yakubu said available statistics from the Ministry of Health (MOH) show that out of the estimated 600,000 Ghanaians living with AIDS, 65 per cent are females.

He expressed appreciation to the German Technical Corporation and Red Bull Energy drink, for sponsoring the tour and appealed to other organisations for support.