Lagos: The Lagos State Government has urged residents against panic over recent media reports on HIV data in the state, stressing that the widely circulated figures did not accurately reflect the actual pattern of new infections. The clarification followed widespread media coverage of data contained in the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare’s State of the Health of the Nation Report 2025, which indicated that Lagos recorded 10,430 HIV cases during the reporting period.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Dr. Folakemi Animashaun, Chief Executive Officer of the Lagos State AIDS Control Agency (LSACA), addressed these concerns during a news conference on Thursday. She emphasized that the reports had generated public concern due to a misinterpretation of public health data. Animashaun clarified that the reported figure should not be seen as evidence of an uncontrolled rise in new HIV infections. Instead, it reflects the success of the state’s expanded HIV testing programme, access to HIV services, an
d sustained progress towards epidemic control.
Dr. Animashaun explained that the figure of 10,430, which was widely reported as the number of new HIV infections in Lagos in 2025, represents newly diagnosed HIV-positive cases. These are individuals whose HIV status was confirmed during the reporting period, many of whom may have acquired the virus years earlier before eventually accessing testing services. She noted that this number also included people referred from other states, residents who travelled to Lagos for healthcare, and individuals identified through the state’s expanded HIV testing programme.
Animashaun made a clear distinction between newly diagnosed cases and new HIV infections. She explained that while the former refers to people whose HIV status was confirmed during the reporting period, the latter refers to infections estimated to have occurred within a defined period using epidemiological surveillance and scientific modelling. She warned that inaccurate interpretation of health statistics
could lead to unnecessary fear, reinforce stigma and discrimination, discourage testing, and ultimately weaken public health interventions.
To ensure transparency and public confidence, the state government is engaging relevant stakeholders to review the methodology, indicator definitions, and reporting assumptions behind the published figures to promote accurate interpretation and responsible public communication. Animashaun emphasized that Lagos must be understood within its unique demographic and healthcare context, as it is Nigeria’s most populous state, commercial capital, and one of the country’s largest healthcare referral centres.
Presenting the state’s programme performance, the LSACA chief disclosed that Lagos conducted 504,800 HIV tests in 2025, identifying 11,940 HIV-positive individuals, representing a positivity yield of 2.4 per cent. During the first quarter of 2026 alone, the state carried out 179,229 HIV tests, with 3,390 positive diagnoses, while the positivity yield declined further to 1.
9 per cent. According to her, the steady decline in positivity rates in spite of expanded testing is a significant epidemiological indicator demonstrating improved epidemic control across the state.
Animashaun also revealed impressive achievements in the state’s HIV treatment programme, with 147,904 persons receiving antiretroviral therapy in Lagos as of 2025, and 97 per cent achieving viral suppression. She highlighted progress in preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV, with the Early Infant Diagnosis positivity rate declining from 5.1 per cent in 2020 to 1.5 per cent in 2025. She attributed this progress to the unwavering commitment of Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration to strengthening public health systems.
Looking ahead, she announced the implementation of a comprehensive HIV Response Acceleration Plan covering July to September 2026, focusing on expanding testing, improving linkage to treatment, enhancing service quality, and ensuring programme sustainability. Lagos is also scaling up HI
V prevention through both oral and long-acting injectable pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP).
In a landmark step, Lagos State became the first sub-national government in Nigeria to independently procure antiretroviral medicines for people living with HIV. The first consignment of state-procured antiretroviral drugs is expected to arrive before the end of August 2026. This initiative marks a major milestone in reducing dependence on external donor support while guaranteeing uninterrupted access to life-saving treatment.
Dr. Temitope Fadiya of UNAIDS commended the Lagos Government’s investment in HIV/AIDS response, noting that the true reflection of the state’s HIV epidemic control was presented by LSACA. He urged the public against panic and disclosed that the ART Impact Survey conducted in the state is being analyzed and yet to be released.