Non-Governmental and Community Based Organizations allocated with funds to fight the spread of HIV/AIDS in Wa Municipality have been advised to operate within guidelines instituted by Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC) or refund the monies. Alhaji Osman Salifu, Wa Municipal Coordinating Director who gave the warning said the fight on the spread of the pandemic was a moral duty and not an opportunity for personal gains. He noted that despite the huge financial resources spent on fighting the disease, the rate of infection was on the increase within the municipality. Alhaji Salifu was addressing a meeting of representatives of organizations engaged in the Anti- HIV campaign in the municipality at Wa on Thursday. The organisations presented reports on their activities from January to August this year. Alhaji Salifu announced that in October last year, the Commission released ¢5,850 to the assembly for the implementation of anti-HIV activities and an additional ¢8,000 in December for two NGOs and five CBOs to implement their programmes. He said the Commission released ¢5,000 to the assembly and ¢8,000 to some selected NGOs and CBOs to execute their programmes in July this year. Alhaji Zaid Tamimu, Upper West Regional Focal Person on HIV/AIDS said the current prevalence rate of 3.2 in the municipality was above the national average of 2.2 and regional average of 2.6. He attributed it to the refusal of many people in the municipality to accept the use of condom as a protection. Alhaji Tamimu pointed out that government was determined to reduce the prevalence rate in the country and the pandemic from having a devastating effect on socio-economic development in the country, but if the people would not take up the challenge, its objective could not be achieved. Mr Michael Bayel, Wa Municipal Focal Person on HIV/AIDS said to improve on condom use in the municipality they had started supplying condoms to hotels, drinking bars and restaurants for distribution to their clients. Source: GNA