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 homosexuals club existing in
Makurdi the Benue state capital.
She said the organisation 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 gay
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 colloboration 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.”
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