114,000 people infected with HIV/AIDS in Cape Coast

Cape Coast, Sept. 12, GNA - Ms Sally Esinam Torpey, president of Sympathy International, an NGO based in Cape Coast said on Thursday that, statistics from the Ghana AIDS Commission shows that, a total of 114,000, representing 7.6 per cent of people living with HIV/AIDS in the Cape Coast municipality.

She said the most vulnerable infested group was among the youth and this called for a very quick response, particularly, from the youth to fight the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Cape Coast and its environs and the country as a whole.

She was opening a three-day HIV/AIDS training workshop organised by her organisation in collaboration with Ghana AIDS Commission for 70 peer educators, mostly students at Cape Coast.

The workshop under the theme "Come Join in the Fight Against HIV/AIDS", was designed to arm participants with the needed techniques to fight the disease through house to house, meetings, symposia and durbars, to create the awareness and to assist people already with the disease.

Ms Torpey expressed her gratitude to the Ghana AIDS Commission for sponsoring the workshop and thanked all those who contributed in divers ways towards the formation of the NGO.

Dr. Mrs Mary Botwe, a lecturer of University of Cape Coast said the HIV/AIDS pandemic is real and "we must tackle it with all efforts". She called on marriage couples to be faithful to their partners and asked the unmarried ones to abstain from premarital sex.

Mr Paul Hagan, an administrative staff of Cape Coast Municipal Assembly, who stood in for the Municipal HIV/AIDS focal person, called for voluntary counselling and testing, support and care for people living with the disease.

Miss Juliana Ohene, Studies Centre, co-ordinator of the University of Education, Winneba, who presided, hoped that by the end of the programme, participants would have a change of attitude to assist in propagating the message to the people.