Mr Sam Nasamu Asabigi, the Deputy Northern Regional Minister, on Monday said HIV and AIDS stigma and discrimination remained a crucial challenge that undermined the control of the virus nationally and globally. He expressed concern that in the face of multiplicity of digitized media and communication outlets, stigma and discrimination on HIV patients continued to prevail. He appealed to civil society organisations to complement government's efforts at reducing the prevalence rate of the virus to the barest minimum by providing adequate tools and information to educate the populace. Mr Asabigi said this at the launch of a Multi-Sector HIV and AIDS Project (MSHAP) by the Christian Council of Ghana (CCG) in Tamale. The initiative dubbed, "Stigma and Discrimination Reduction and HIV and AIDS Prevention" to be implemented in the three northern regions, is aimed at reducing new HIV infections and stigma and discrimination against Persons Living with HIV. MSHAP is targeted at churches and mosques in the three metropolis, municipal and district assemblies in the region. Mr Asabigi said the virus had become a universal developmental challenge that needed to be fought through well-coordinated and multi-purpose approaches to stem it. He said the devastating effects of the HIV pandemic "knows no geographical, political, religious or social boundaries", and urged members of the public to live morally upright lifestyles. Mr Asabigi said gender inequalities, economic dependence, low social status and bad sexual lifestyles had made the girls vulnerable and more likely to contract HIV than boys of the same age group. According to the National AIDS Control Programme (NACP), the national HIV prevalence suffered an increase from 1.7 per cent in 2008 to 1.9 in 2009. The 2009 HIV Sentinel Survey Report (SSR) said the highest prevalence rate was recorded among the 40 to 45 years and the least in the 15-19 years age group. Mr Asabigi called on the CCG to focus more on women and children since they were the most vulnerable when a family member was infected with the disease. Mrs Ruby Dagadu, the Director of Programmes and Advocacy of CCG, said the objective of the project was to reach about 30,000 people in the three northern regions with stigma reduction messages through churches, mosques and other faith-based organisations with information on HIV prevention and transmission. Source: GNA