The Lagos State Government has dismissed reports claiming the state recorded the highest number of new HIV infections in Nigeria in 2025, insisting that the figures being circulated have been wrongly interpreted.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Lagos State AIDS Control Agency (LSACA), Dr. Folakemi Animashaun, said the widely reported figure refers to newly diagnosed HIV-positive cases and not people who contracted the virus in 2025.
Speaking at a press briefing in Alausa, Ikeja, on Thursday, Animashaun urged residents not to panic, stressing that the reports do not reflect a surge in fresh infections.
“The figure widely reported in the media requires important technical interpretation. It does not literally translate to Lagos State recording 10,430 new HIV infections in 2025,” she said.
According to her, many of those captured in the statistics may have contracted HIV several years earlier but only recently got tested, while others were referred from different states or travelled to Lagos because of its robust healthcare system.
She explained that estimates of new HIV infections are generated through epidemiological surveillance and scientific modelling and should not be confused with diagnosis figures.
Animashaun warned that inaccurate interpretation of HIV data could fuel fear, stigma and discrimination, discourage people from going for tests and weaken ongoing public health interventions.
She disclosed that the Lagos State AIDS Control Agency is already engaging relevant stakeholders to better understand the methodology behind the published figures and ensure accurate public communication.
The LSACA boss noted that Lagos, being Nigeria’s commercial hub, most populous state and a major referral centre, naturally records a high number of HIV tests, diagnoses and treatments.
She explained that stronger surveillance systems and wider access to healthcare services account for the higher number of detected cases rather than evidence of a worsening HIV epidemic.
Giving an update on the state’s HIV programme, Animashaun revealed that Lagos conducted 504,800 HIV tests in 2025, identifying 11,940 HIV-positive cases, representing a positivity rate of 2.4 per cent.
She added that in the first quarter of 2026, the state carried out 179,229 HIV tests, identified 3,390 HIV-positive cases, while the positivity rate dropped further to 1.9 per cent.
“The declining positivity rate, despite expanded testing, is a significant epidemiological indicator that reflects improving epidemic control,” she stated.
Animashaun further disclosed that 147,904 people were receiving antiretroviral therapy in Lagos as of 2025, with 97 per cent achieving viral suppression, describing the achievement as a major public health milestone.
She also announced that the state’s Early Infant Diagnosis positivity rate had dropped from 5.1 per cent in 2020 to 1.5 per cent in 2025, reflecting sustained success in preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV.
According to her, Lagos has commenced the implementation of a HIV Response Acceleration Plan covering July to September 2026 to expand testing, improve treatment linkage and retention, strengthen community prevention programmes and enhance data quality across the state’s 20 Local Government Areas and 57 Local Council Development Areas.
She said the state continues to implement preventive interventions, including oral and long-acting injectable pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), to reduce new infections.
Animashaun also disclosed that Lagos had independently procured antiretroviral medicines to ensure uninterrupted treatment for people living with HIV, with the first shipment expected before the end of August 2026.
She said the initiative makes Lagos the first sub-national government in Nigeria to independently procure antiretroviral drugs, a move aimed at reducing dependence on donor funding, strengthening the health system and guaranteeing long-term access to HIV medicines.
The state, she added, is also exploring local production of HIV commodities through partnerships with international organisations, including UNAIDS, while drawing lessons from Kenya’s pharmaceutical sector.
Appealing to residents, Animashaun urged Lagosians to know their HIV status, take advantage of available prevention and treatment services, rely on verified health information and reject stigma against people living with HIV.
“There is no cause for panic. HIV remains preventable and manageable. With early diagnosis and sustained treatment, people living with HIV can live long, healthy, productive and fulfilling lives,” she said.
She reaffirmed the state’s commitment to evidence-based policies and sustained investment in HIV response, declaring: “Lagos is not defined by the number of people it tests. Lagos is defined by the strength of its response.
