As Benue state continues to grapple with the rising figures of HIV/AIDS in the state, Executive Secretary of the Benue State Agency for the Control of Aids (BENSACA), Mrs. Grace Wende has revealed that the
agency recently discovered a 400-member ho*mo*se*xuals club existing in Makurdi,the Benue state capital.
She said the organization otherwise known as Men Sleeping with Men, MSM, has a large membership of male students from higher institutions in the state.
Wende who made this disclosure yesterday at a one day Training of Media Practioners on HIV/AIDS in Makurdi, said the existence of the g.ay club in the state was not helping the state government’s efforts at curbing the spread of the HIV virus in the state.
According to her, “the club was discovered during an Epidermic appraisal carried out by our Canadian partners in collaboration with BENSACA following the state government’s resolve to fight the increasing trend of HIV/AIDs in the state as shown in 2011 survey.
”In fact my office is already interacting with the group of young men who are mostly undergraduates in various higher institution of learning located in the state.” She stressed that the idea of identifying with the MSM which usually holds their meetings in December in Makurdi was meant to reduce the spread of HIV virus commonly found among them.
Mrs Wende further urged all stakeholders to join the fight against the virus in the state, stressing, “there is a heightened need for scale-up of effective and efficient HIV prevention efforts in the state if we must all win this war against the virus.”By Peter Duru Makurdi.
