Omanhene donates computer for HIV/AIDS data processing

The Paramount Chief of the New Juaben Traditional Area, Daasebre Dr Oti Boateng, has donated a 7-million-cedi computer and its accessories to the New Juaben Traditional Council in support of its anti-HIV/AIDS programme launched at Koforidua on Friday.

He explained that the computer was to help collate and process monthly data on HIV/AIDS prevalence in the Koforidua municipality, the Eastern Region, the country and the world, to facilitate information management and dissemination under the programme.

The programme formed part of the anti-HIV/AIDS collaborative campaign by the "Coalition of Life Preservers," involving 18 civil society organisations including the New Juaben Traditional Council, operating in the country except the Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions.

The launching of the programme took the form of a roundtable discussion attended by chiefs, queenmothers and headmasters of schools in the Ada and Akwadum circuits in the Koforidua municipality on the need to form Virgins/Abstinence Fellowships in educational institutions.

The New Juaben Municipal Chief Executive, Nana Adjei Boateng, noted with concern that while the national HIV/AIDS prevalence rate was about 3.5 per cent that of the Koforidua municipality was 6.5.

He said the development was "a very critical situation requiring all sections of the community to put all hands on deck to fight the menace."

Nana Boateng commended the chiefs and teachers for their involvement in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Nana Boateng warned that unless individuals and organisations in the area made urgent efforts in the fight against HIV/AIDS, the lives of the people, especially the youth, would be at risk.

He said the Municipal AIDS Response Initiative was coordinating efforts by 12 groups being sponsored by the Ghana AIDS Response Fund (GARFUND) with 9.8 million cedis to fight the disease.

Nana Boateng asked parents, teachers and opinion leaders to be role models to the youth and regretted that some parents were shirking their responsibilities of the upkeep of their children.

The founder of the AFA Foundation, Mr Kofi Lucas commended the government for sourcing a 25-million-dollar loan from the World Bank to fight the disease in the country.

He attributed the spread of the disease to poverty and appealed to the donor community to release more funds towards the fight against the disease and create to wealth for the people.

Mr Lucas urged the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC) to demand the inclusion of a poverty alleviation component in future applications by agencies seeking funding for their anti-HIV/AIDS programmes.

Daasebere Boateng asked the people to abstain from indiscriminate sex and said the Traditional Council would come out with by-laws to deal with irresponsible men who impregnate women and abandon them to their fate.

He school authorities to ensure that teachers who might engage in sex with their pupils or students faced the law.