Lagos State has no new cases of HIV infection. This is according to the Chief Executive Officer of the Lagos State AIDS Control Agency, Folakemi Animashaun, who spoke during a press conference in Alausa, Ikeja, where she clarified the reports making the rounds that the state recorded the highest number of new HIV infections in 2025.
Animashaun said the information was based on a misinterpretation of data, explaining that the widely reported figures refer to newly diagnosed HIV-positive cases and not new infections recorded within the year.
According to her, nearly 148,000 people are currently receiving antiretroviral treatment in the state, with 97 per cent achieving viral suppression. She said Lagos remains a major referral hub for HIV testing and treatment, leading to higher case detection, and urged residents not to panic.
She also announced that Lagos has become the first state in Nigeria to independently procure antiretroviral drugs, with the first consignment expected by the end of August.
Animashaun said that a “newly diagnosed HIV-positive case simply means an individual was confirmed HIV-positive during the reporting period. These include persons who may have acquired HIV several years earlier but were only recently tested. The figure may also include people who travelled to Lagos for testing or treatment, referrals from other states, and individuals identified because of the state’s expanded access to HIV testing services.
“On the other hand, new HIV infections refer to individuals who acquired HIV within a defined period. and are estimated using established epidemiological surveillance methods and scientific modelling. These are two different indicators and should not be interpreted interchangeably.
“This distinction is critical because inaccurate interpretation of public health data can generate unnecessary fear, increase stigma and discrimination, discourage HIV testing, and ultimately undermine public health interventions. To ensure complete transparency, Lagos State is engaging relevant stakeholders to understand the methodology, indicator definitions, and reporting assumptions underlying the published figures. This will ensure accurate interpretation and responsible public communication.
“It is equally important to place Lagos State within its proper context. As Nigeria’s most populous state, commercial centre, and one of the country’s largest healthcare referral hubs, Lagos naturally records some of the highest volumes of HIV testing, diagnosis, treatment, and patient referrals. Stronger surveillance systems and wider access to healthcare services invariably result in higher case detection and should not be misconstrued as evidence of worsening epidemic control.”
She said, “In 2025, Lagos State conducted 504,800 HIV tests, through which 11,940 HIV-positive cases were identified, representing a positivity yield of 2.4%. In the first quarter of 2026, the State conducted 179,229 HIV tests, identifying 3,390 HIV-positive cases, while the positivity yield further declined to 1.9%.
The declining positivity rate, despite expanded testing, is a significant epidemiological indicator that reflects improving epidemic control.
Furthermore, as of 2025, 147,904 persons were receiving antiretroviral therapy across Lagos State, with 97% achieving viral suppression. This represents a major public health milestone and demonstrates the effectiveness of the State’s HIV treatment programme.
“Similarly, Lagos State continues to record significant progress in the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV. The Early Infant Diagnosis positivity rate has declined remarkably from 5.1% in 2020 to 1.5% in 2025, reflecting sustained improvements in maternal and child HIV services.
“These indicators collectively demonstrate that Lagos has built one of Nigeria’s strongest HIV surveillance, prevention, treatment, and response systems.”
According to her, in anticipation of emerging programme priorities, Lagos State had already commenced implementation of a comprehensive HIV Response Acceleration Plan for the period July to September 2026, focusing on expanding HIV testing, strengthening treatment linkage and retention, improving service quality, scaling up community prevention, enhancing data quality and accountability, and advancing long-term sustainability across all 20 Local Government Areas and 57 Local Council Development Areas. The State is currently implementing HIV prevention interventions, that is, HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) intervention, that is, oral and long-acting injectable PrEP (two-monthly injectable).
She added that the first consignment of the State-procured ARV medicines is expected to arrive in Lagos by the end of August 2026. This marks a historic milestone, making Lagos State the first sub-national government in Nigeria to independently procure antiretroviral medicines for people living with HIV.
The LSACA boss urged residents of Lagos not to panic. Know your HIV status, access available prevention, testing, treatment, and care services, rely only on verified public health information, and reject every form of stigma and discrimination.
Speaking earlier, the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Gboyega Akosile, said the Lagos State Government has invested heavily in health, not only in infrastructure but also in other matters relating to HIV/AIDS, among others.
A representative of UNAIDS, Temitope Fadiya, expressed profound gratitude for the investments that the Lagos State government had made in terms of testing and prevention of HIV/AIDS in the state.
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