Cape Deaf gets AIDS awareness club

Cape Coast, Feb. 21, GNA- Mr Alexander Ofori Kennedy, executive director of International Aid Agency (IAA), a local NGO on Friday stressed the need for those with hearing impairments in the country to be wholly involved in AIDS awareness programmes.

He said youth among must be particularly assisted to recognise their vulnerability to HIV infection.

Mr Kennedy made the call when he inaugurated the 'Stepping Stones Club', an HIV/AIDS awareness society, for the Cape Coast school for the Deaf, at a ceremony, at Cape Coast.

The motto of the club is "abstinence the sure way", and the theme was "changing attitudes through information received on HIV/AIDS" He pointed out that it is imperative for all Ghanaians, to support programmes that enhance the well being of the hearing impaired, adding that "in everything that we do, let us show love, care, goodwill and compassion towards them".

Mr Paul Gyan, Central Regional Director of the National Population Council (NPC) urged the students to refrain from premarital sex to avoid contracting the disease, and stressed the need for behavioural change on the part of all.

He commended the Headmaster of the school for establishing the club in the school and for the good sanitary conditions there.

Mr Robert Harrison, Headmaster of the school stated that the formation of the club would help the students know the dangers of pre-marital sex and reinforce the knowledge they had acquired from population and family life education and adolescent reproductive health in the school's curriculum.

He pointed out that the period of adolescence was very crucial, and that choices made during this period, often determined the outcome of one's future and regretted that many adolescents, are left on their own to make crucial choices and decisions.

This usually landed them into problems such as teenage pregnancy, drug abuse, unsafe abortion and appealed to stakeholders, other NGO's and philanthropists to help sustain the club.