WA UDS LAUNCHES WOMEN'S WEEK CELEBRATION (PAGE 11)

THE Wa Campus of the University for Development Studies (UDS) has launched its women’s week celebration with a challenge to female students to be at the forefront in the efforts to combat the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
The celebration from March 22 to 28, 2009 is being sponsored by Stanbic Bank, and it is on the theme: “Effective action to combat HIV/AIDS — the role of female students”.
Launching the event, the Upper West Regional Minister, Mr Mohammed Khalid, commended the women’s commissioner and the female students for setting aside a week to deliberate on such a significant topic.
This, he said, was because the HIV/AIDS rate in the region, particularly the Wa municipality, was scary.
“In the Wa municipality for instance, the prevalence rate of HIV/AIDS has soared from 3.2 per cent since 2005 to 5.8 per cent in 2007 and the main causes are through heterosexual transmission,” he noted.
The regional minister disclosed that the prevalence rate in the entire region was 3.1 per cent, which, he said, was also more than that of the national prevalence rate of 2.6 per cent.
He, therefore, lauded the efforts of the women’s commissioner and the Faculty for Integrated Development Studies (FIDS) and urged the students to devise strategies and methods through which the pandemic could be dealt with effectively.
On the effects of the HIV/AIDS pandemic on the nation’s development, Mr Khalid pointed out that the disease was beyond just a health problem.
He noted that it was presently a development issue, since majority of those who were infected were people within the working class.
Mr Khalid advised students especially the females to abstain from premarital sex and be faithful to one’s partner or possibly use a condom.
Mr Khalid further advised that they go beyond the campus to reach out to the general public with the message on HIV/AIDS.
Commenting on the recent impasse between students and the university authorities, Mr Khalid expressed appreciation to both parties for their roles in helping to resolve the issue amicably.
He, however, appealed to students to endeavour to use the appropriate channels whenever they sought solutions to their grievances.
For her part, the Women’s Commissioner, Miss Eunice Yagiire, promised to bring on board their male counterparts to be able to reach out to more people with the message on HIV/AIDS especially on behavioural change.