The Anambra State Aids Control Agency (SACA) has revealed a startling discovery of 642 sex spots that exist in various parts of the state made up of 618 female and 24 male sex spots.

Director of SACA, Dr. Ogochukwu Ndibe, disclosed the figures yesterday during a harmonisation programme for international partners operating in Anambra state. He also revealed that there are 5,920 female and over 500 male sex workers in the state.

On the average, there are 10 female sex workers in a spot and 50 male sex workers in a spot.

According to Ndibe, “There are men who have sex with other men as a matter of preference or practice, regardless of their sexual identity or sexual orientation and irrespective of whether they also have sex with women or not.”

The SACA Director named local government areas where male and female sex spots are prevalent to include Awka South, where the state capital is located; Awka North; Ihiala; Onitsha South; Orumba North; Nnewi North; Onitsha North; Aguata; and Njikoka.

Anambra, with 7.8 per cent prevalence of HIV, is among the highest in the country, although Ndibe explained that with the support of the state government and the current interest and support of many international partners, the rate of spread of HIV in the state would soon reduce.

He stressed the need for all levels of government and the communities to improve on direct funding of the HIV response to achieve the desired result as quickly as possible.

Ndibe said that in the meantime the agency has procured and distributed HIV test kits to 107 health facilities spread throughout the 21 local government areas of the state, as well as procured and distributed male and female condoms, computers and four SUV cars for easy movement to all the local government areas.

Also speaking during the event, Prof. Chinyere Okunna, the Chief of Staff to Governor Peter Obi and Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, said the state government cannot afford to toy with the intervention programmes of the development partners.

Okunna, who is coordinating the activities of SACA agency under the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) Office, recalled how difficult it was for Governor Obi to the woo development partners back to the state when he assumed office in 2006.

“When Governor Obi assumed office in 2006, no development partner was here. As he settled down, he went after the partners and gradually many of them started partnering with us and the voluntary agencies,” Okunna said.

“As a relatively poor state, we cannot achieve much without partnering with the donor agencies which bring money to match with our contribution to execute projects in all parts of the state. In other to ensure that these projects go round, there is need to avoid duplication in some communities as had been observed in the sitting of some projects,” she added.

•Photo shows Prof. Okunna.

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