Goal 3 of the Sustainable Development Goals seeks to end the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and neglected tropical diseases and combat hepatitis, water-borne diseases and other communicable diseases. The attainment of it hinges on concerted efforts amongst key stakeholders.
In an effort to ensure the attainment of this target, the Pru West District Assembly and the District Health Directorate created awareness on the dangers of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, hepatitis B, cerebro-spinal meningitis and mental health and their potential at the Prang Senior High School on Friday 26th January, 2024.
The participants were taken through the aetiology, incubation period, signs and symptoms, mode of transmission, risk factors, prevention and treatment of the specified diseases.
The organizers of the programme selected SHSs because of the vulnerability of persons within that age group to these medical conditions.
This stage of life (adolescence) is a unique stage of human development and an important time for laying the foundation for good health.
It was therefore necessary to educate this age group to equip them with the necessary knowledge about these diseases and ways to avoid contracting them.
The students were urged to serve as ambassadors in educating people in their communities about the signs and symptoms, mode of transmission, risk factors in contracting these diseases, ways to ameliorate the spread as well as prevent the spread of the diseases.
The facilitators, drawn from the
Pru West District Assembly, the Pru West District Health Directorate and the Prang SHS, comprised of the following:
▪ The District Disease Control Officer
▪ The Prang Health Center HIV coordinator
▪ The Prang Health Center TB Coordinator
The District Disease Surveillance
Officer
▪ The District Nutrition and Health Promotion Officer
▪ The District HIV Focal Person
▪ The Head, Guidance and
Counselling Unit, Prang SHS
▪ HIV Focal Person from the Pru West
District Assembly.
The programme was highly interactive as participants were given the opportunity to ask questions after each presentation. It is worthy to indicate that the exercise triggered the needed behavioral changes as some of the students expressed desire to know their HIV status and participated in the voluntary counseling. The voluntary testing is scheduled to be conducted at a date to be communicated by the school’s authorities.