The Lagos State Government has clarified that reports claiming it recorded the highest number of new HIV infections in Nigeria last year were based on a misinterpretation of available data.
Chief Executive Officer of the Lagos State AIDS Control Agency (LSACA), Dr. Folakemi Animashaun, said the widely reported figure of 10,430 referred to newly diagnosed HIV cases, not new infections recorded within the year.
She explained that many of those diagnosed may have contracted the virus years earlier, while the figures also include patients referred from other states or those who travelled to Lagos for testing and treatment.
Animashaun warned that confusing new diagnoses with new infections could fuel stigma and discourage people from accessing HIV services.
She said Lagos conducted 504,800 HIV tests in 2025 and identified 11,940 positive cases, representing a positivity rate of 2.4 per cent.
In the first quarter of 2026, the state conducted 179,229 tests and recorded 3,390 positive cases, with the positivity rate dropping to 1.9 per cent.
According to her, 147,904 people were receiving antiretroviral therapy in Lagos as of 2025, with 97 per cent achieving viral suppression.
She added that the state has begun implementing an HIV Response Acceleration Plan to expand testing, improve treatment, strengthen prevention and enhance data quality across all local government areas.
Animashaun also disclosed that Lagos had become the first state to independently procure antiretroviral medicines to ensure uninterrupted treatment, with the first consignment expected before the end of August.
She urged residents to access the state’s free HIV prevention, testing and treatment services and rely only on verified public health information.