By David Christopher Dari

No fewer than 3,700 patients living with HIV/AIDS are currently receiving free counseling, drugs and other clinical services from the Federal Medical Centre, Keffi in Nasarawa State.

The head of clinical services of the centre, Dr. Joshua Giyan Ndom, made the disclosure in an interactive session with Nigerian Newsday in his office recently. about the progress and challenges of the centre so far.

According to him, the medical centre with the saupport of the federal government and a non-governmental organisation, such as the Institute of Human Virology was providing free drugs and other important servies to the people livingg the disease as part of its efforts to stop the spread of the desease.

Dr. Giyan, who is consultant physician, stated that the rate at which the desase was spreading in the Keffi area was alarming, saying the prevalnt rate of 6.7 percent was on the high side.

He observed that the high risk behaviour of people in the area such as unprotected sex was contributing to the rapid spread of the disease.

He therefore cautioned the people on the need to control their sexual behaviours by upholding the ABC style of the disease, wchich entails absentinence, faithfulness and the use of condom, advising the people to visit the centre or approved medical services providers to ascertain their HIV/AIDS status.

Dr. Giyan further advised the people to take advantage of the free medical services being provided by the centre, assuring that the centre would continue to ensure that patient’s records are treated with confidentiality in accordance with the law.

In his words, "we are adequately prepared for such challenges and based on the people should avail themselves with such opportunities to get the necessary medical services".