The Benue State Government has revealed thtat over 700,000 out of the 4.3 million people in the state are still living with the dreaded HIV/AIDS virus in the state in spite persistent government efforts. It has also stated that out of the number, only 50,000 people living with the virus have already registerd with the Benue Network of people Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in the state.

The State coordinator for PLWHA, Mr. Stephen Yongo made this disclosure at a one day HIV/AIDS Review Meeting of Media Forum organized by Ministry of Information and Orientation in conjunction with Benue State Action Committee on AIDS, BENSACA. Yongo who in a lead paper titled: "Stigma, Discrimination and their Implications on HIV/AIDS Programming" disclosed that the 2010 Sentinel report puts Benue at 12.7 percent on HIV/AIDS pervalence rate; the figure, he described as fearful.

He therefore called for attitudinal change to curtail the disease further advised the public to stop discrimination against those living with the disease in order to reduce its spread. 

He said that his association has sent an anti Stigmatisation bill to the State House of Assembly, which if passed into law, would proscribe punitive measures against willful infection of innocent people by those already living with the virus.