Nkoranza citizens sensitised on HIV/AIDS

A total of 143 out of 255 patients screened at the St. Theresa's Hospital at Nkoranza last year tested HIV/AIDS positive. Mr. Hayford Kyere, Nkoranza District HIV/AIDS Monitoring and Evaluation Focal Person, disclosed this when he addressed about 200 hairdressers at a workshop at Nkoranza to create awareness among the people to guard against getting infected.

Fifteen out of the infected died before the end of the year, he said and emphasised that the pandemic was real adding that, people should therefore not deceive themselves that "HIV/AIDS is associated with evil and satanic issues". Mr. Kyere said persons between 45 and 49 years old had a prevalent rate of about five per cent, while it was about 3.6 for between 25 and 29 years old. The rate for those between 15 and 24 years old was 1.9 per cent and between 15-19 years old, bout 0.8 per cent. Mr. Kyere advised the people to be faithful to their sexual partners while the unmarried youth should abstain from sex or use condom to protect themselves.

Mrs. Eva Saku, Nkoranza District Public Health Nurse, urged the people to undertake Voluntary/Counselling and Testing (VCT) to determine their status and pointed out that HIV/AIDS was mostly contracted through sexual intercourse, which accounted for about 80 per cent of infection. Mother to child infection was 15 per cent while other causes such as the use and exchange of common razors was five per cent. Mrs. Elizabeth Dekyi, a Public Health Nurse, expressed concern about how some parents used one toothbrush for all their children and advised them to desist from the unhygienic practice to avoid contracting the pandemic or other communicable diseases.

Mr. Haruna Babbs and Madam Theresa Bossman, executive members of the Nkoranza District Beauticians Association, commended the District HIV/AIDS committee for organizing the workshop to sensitise the youth. The participants were provided with female and male condoms to promote their usage. The workshop attracted Mr. Daniel Agyarko, District Environmental Health Officer, Mr. Nyame Boateng, District Engineer, Mr. Kyere Boateng, Assistant Chief Executive Officer and Mr Ebenezer Amoah, District Planning Officer.GNA

Ghana's Clottey Out-punched Corrales

Joshua Clottey completely dominated Diego Corrales on Saturday night, knocking down the former world champion twice in a unanimous decision in their 10-round welterweight bout.
Clottey (31-2) sent Corrales -- making his debut at 147 pounds after moving up two weight classes -- to the canvas with a left hand to the head late in the ninth round.

Corrales (40-5) got back to his feet, but moments later another left by Clottey sent him reeling in the corner. Corrales survived the ninth but took a bloody left eye into the 10th and final round.
Midway through the 10th, Corrales dodged a Clottey left but stepped into his right and went down again, losing his mouthpiece. The former WBC and WBO lightweight and WBO junior lightweight champion again got back to his feet, but by that point, it was all but over.
Clottey, the No. 4 welterweight contender according to the WBO, won 97-90, 98-89 and 100-87 on the judges' scorecards.

"He was a tough guy, this was a tough fight," Clottey said. "But I knew from the beginning that it was just a matter of time. I knew I would have to break him down."
Corrales said after the fight that he thought Clottey broke his jaw in the fifth round.
"My corner asked me if I wanted to continue, and of course I did," Corrales said. "I have a lot of respect for Clottey. He caught me with two great shots."
The fight was the last of nine on the night in front of a near-capacity crowd at the 2,300-seat Shrine Mosque.

Corrales, Clottey even on the scales

Diego Corrales and Joshua Clottey both weighed in at 149lbs for their welterweight battle on Saturday night in Springfield, Missouri, USA on Showtime.29 year-old Corrales 40-4 (33) from Las Vegas, a three-time world champion, is making his first appearance at welterweight against 30 year-old Clottey 30-2 (20), 1 NC from Ghana.

Showtime will televise the 10-round welterweight bout in the USA at 9pm ET/PT (delayed on the west coast). Gary Shaw Productions and Tony Holden Promotions will promote the event sponsored by the Buffalo Run Casino in Miami, Oklahoma, from The Shrine Mosque in Springfield, Missouri.

NDC condemns attempts to downplay energy crisis

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) on Friday, condemned attempts by the Government and New Patriotic Party (NPP) functionaries to divert discussion on the energy crisis. In a statement in Accra signed by Dr Kwabena Adjei, National Chairman, the NDC said it had observed without surprise attempts by "our opponents" to divert attention from the debilitating energy crisis that the country is saddled with.

The NDC had also taken note of the failure of President John Agyekum Kufuor and the Government "to keep faith with their numerous promises to solve the problem," it said. The Party expressed concern about a section of the media, which it said had taken bits and pieces of "what they might have heard" at the "second Family Meeting" of the NDC on Tuesday, and had added "their diabolical spin to suit their diversionary agenda".

The statement said, "The words, phrases and statement" attributed to certain NDC personalities "emanate more from the figments of their imagination than from what was actually said at the Family Meeting". "The NDC remains more united than ever and is poised for the beckoning 2008 electoral victory", the statement said. The leadership of the party urged NDC members not to be distracted by any vile propaganda until victory in December 2008.GNA