Tamale Assembly to register people living with HIV/AIDS

Tamale, Aug. 23, GNA- The Tamale Metropolitan Assembly is to register all people living with HIV/AIDS to help and give them the needed attention and assistance.

Alhaji Iddrisu Adam, the Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE) who announced this in Tamale on Monday said the move was also to assist NGOs and other bodies involved in the fight against the disease with adequate funding to carry out their activities.

Alhaji Adam was speaking at the opening of a seven-day Science, Technology and Mathematics Education (STME) in Tamale for Junior and Secondary School students.

He said the fight against HIV/AIDS could only be won if people living with the disease were encouraged to undertake educational campaign on the disease.

He said it was when such people continuously tell their trauma to the world that they could influence behaviour change especially among the youth.

Some 120 students made of 100 girls and 20 boys from 19 schools, are attending the clinic, the third to be organised in the Metropolis, on the theme: "Scientific and Technological Education, the Hope of the Nation".

Alhaji Adam said the wearing of 'T' shirts with AIDS inscription has become a fashion and money-making venture and said: "It has reached a stage where we have to find other means of assisting patients to adjust themselves in society".

He commended the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports and the Ghana Education Service for sustaining the clinic since its inception in 1987 and called on them to include HIV/AIDS on their topics. He said the inclusion of boys on the clinic was a good move and advised girl-child advocates to give equal attention to the boy-child "so that the nation does not create a new child imbalance".

Mrs Alexandra Supimi, Tamale Metropolitan Director of Education called on the sponsors of the clinic to release funds early to ensure smooth commencement of the clinic.

She commended Action Aid Ghana, UNICEF and the Metropolitan Assembly for sponsoring the programme and gave the assurance that the GES would do every thing possible to sustain it.

Ms. Andaratu Yakubu, the Metropolitan Coordinator of the STME said this year's clinic would among other things, introduce participants to embark on tree planting at selected areas to improve the vegetation cover and serve as windbreaks.