Lagos HIV Survey reveals 88.9% viral suppression among patients on treatment

By Osho Olatomiwa

A new HIV impact survey in Lagos State has revealed that although 93.4 per cent of adults who know their HIV status are receiving treatment, only 58.3 per cent of people living with the virus are aware of their status, highlighting a significant gap in testing and case identification.

The findings were contained in a statement issued by the Lagos State Ministry of Health and signed by its Head of Public Affairs Unit, Taiwo Ismail, on November 4, 2026.

The 2025–2026 Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) Impact Survey also showed that 88.9 per cent of people receiving treatment had achieved viral suppression. HIV prevalence was 1.6 per cent among women and 0.8 per cent among men aged 15 to 64.

Presenting the findings in Ikeja, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Dayo Lajide, said the results would inform evidence-based interventions and enable the state to assess its progress towards achieving the UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets.

She disclosed that an estimated 192,911 people were living with HIV in Lagos, while 129,977 were receiving treatment, representing 65.7 per cent coverage.

The survey also identified gaps in preventing mother-to-child transmission, early infant diagnosis and paediatric treatment. It called for stronger testing strategies, improved linkage to treatment and better retention of patients in care.

Conducted between November 2025 and February 2026, the survey covered 6,450 households across 205 enumeration areas.

The state government reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining HIV services, strengthening domestic funding and translating the findings into targeted interventions to advance efforts towards ending HIV as a public health threat by 2030.