Lagos State has recorded progress in HIV treatment access, with a new population-based survey showing that more than nine in every 10 people living with HIV who know their status are receiving antiretroviral treatment.
However, the findings also reveal significant gaps in HIV awareness and overall viral suppression, highlighting the need to expand testing and strengthen access to care across the state.
The results emerged from the 2025–2026 Nigeria State-Level Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) Impact Survey, conducted between November 2025 and February 2026 with support from the United States Government through the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
The survey covered adults aged 15 to 64 and estimated HIV prevalence in Lagos at 1.2 per cent. The prevalence was higher among women, at 1.6 per cent, compared with 0.8 per cent among men.
According to the findings presented in Ikeja, only 58.3 per cent of people living with HIV in the state knew their status. Of those who had been diagnosed, 93.4 per cent were receiving antiretroviral therapy.
The survey further showed that 88.9 per cent of those receiving treatment had achieved viral suppression.
Viral suppression occurs when HIV treatment reduces the amount of virus in a person's blood to very low levels. Consistent treatment and regular medical monitoring help people living with HIV maintain their health and reduce the risk of transmitting the virus.
Despite the treatment figures, the overall picture indicates that only 48.3 per cent of people living with HIV in Lagos had achieved viral suppression, largely reflecting the gaps in diagnosis and treatment coverage.
Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr Dayo Lajide, said the survey would help the state assess progress since the 2018 Nigeria AIDS Indicator and Impact Survey and improve the planning of HIV interventions.
She called for targeted efforts to identify people who are unaware of their status, link diagnosed individuals to treatment and improve retention in care.
The survey also highlighted challenges in services for mothers and children. Prevention of mother-to-child transmission coverage increased from 45 per cent in 2018 to 57.6 per cent in 2025, while early infant diagnosis and paediatric treatment remained areas requiring attention.
Director-General of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS, Dr Temitope Ilori, urged stakeholders to move beyond collecting data and use the findings to improve services, identify underserved communities and direct resources where they are most needed.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Lagos State AIDS Control Agency, Dr Folakemi Animashaun, said the findings would guide budgeting, resource allocation and future programme planning.
She said the state would focus on reaching people who have not been diagnosed, improving treatment adherence and strengthening services for those already receiving care.
The survey provides Lagos with updated evidence for its HIV response, but stakeholders say sustained action will be necessary to close the remaining gaps and improve progress towards ending AIDS as a public health threat.