The Lagos State Government has dismissed widespread reports claiming the state recorded the highest number of new HIV infections in Nigeria in 2025, describing the interpretation of the data as inaccurate and capable of fuelling unnecessary fear, stigma and discrimination.
Speaking at a press briefing in Alausa, Ikeja, on Thursday, the Chief Executive Officer of the Lagos State AIDS Control Agency (LSACA), Dr.Folakemi Animashaun, said the widely reported figure of 10,430 did not represent new HIV infections recorded within the year but rather newly diagnosed HIV-positive cases.
According to her, newly diagnosed cases include individuals who may have contracted the virus several years earlier but were only recently tested, as well as patients referred from other states or those who travelled to Lagos to access HIV testing and treatment services.
She stressed that new HIV infections and newly diagnosed HIV-positive cases are distinct epidemiological indicators and should not be used interchangeably.
“The number that has been widely circulated refers to newly diagnosed HIV-positive cases, not necessarily new HIV infections that occurred within the year,” she said.
Animashaun explained that misinterpreting public health data could generate unnecessary panic, increase stigma against people living with HIV, discourage voluntary testing and undermine ongoing HIV control efforts. She added that the state was engaging relevant stakeholders to better understand the methodology and reporting assumptions behind the published figures to ensure accurate public communication.
The LSACA chief noted that Lagos, being Nigeria’s commercial hub and one of the country’s largest healthcare referral centres, naturally records high volumes of HIV testing, diagnosis, treatment and referrals, making higher case detection expected rather than evidence of a worsening epidemic.
Providing programme statistics, she disclosed that Lagos conducted 504,800 HIV tests in 2025, identifying 11,940 HIV-positive cases with a positivity rate of 2.4 per cent. In the first quarter of 2026, the state carried out 179,229 HIV tests and identified 3,390 HIV-positive cases, while the positivity rate declined further to 1.9 per cent.
She described the declining positivity rate despite increased testing as a strong indication that HIV epidemic control in the state is improving.
Animashaun further revealed that 147,904 people were receiving antiretroviral therapy in Lagos as of 2025, with 97 per cent achieving viral suppression, while the state’s Early Infant Diagnosis positivity rate dropped significantly from 5.1 per cent in 2020 to 1.5 per cent in 2025.
She also announced that Lagos State would become the first sub-national government in Nigeria to independently procure antiretroviral medicines, with the first consignment of state-funded drugs expected to arrive by the end of August 2026.
According to her, the initiative is aimed at ensuring uninterrupted HIV treatment, reducing dependence on donor funding and strengthening the long-term sustainability of the state’s HIV response.
Animashaun assured residents that there was no cause for panic, urging them to know their HIV status, access available prevention and treatment services, rely on verified public health information and reject all forms of stigma and discrimination.
“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.
