Lagos reveals over 135,000 residents living with HIV, intensifies awareness efforts

The Lagos State Government has brought to light the significant scale of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) within its borders, revealing that a staggering 135,224 residents are currently living with the virus.

This disclosure was made on Wednesday by the state Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, during a media briefing held to commemorate the second anniversary of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s second term in office.

Acknowledging the ongoing public health challenge, Prof. Abayomi stated that the state government has significantly intensified its awareness and intervention efforts.

A key component of this strategy involves actively engaging more than 100 religious leaders across the state, enlisting them as HIV and AIDS ambassadors within their communities.

The Commissioner explained that the strategic involvement of these trusted faith leaders is specifically aimed at reducing the pervasive stigma associated with HIV and improving the reach of crucial information, testing services, and treatment options at the grassroots level.

“We are using trusted voices to drive education, testing, and treatment in our communities,” he emphasized.

Beyond the focus on HIV, Prof. Abayomi also highlighted the state’s proactive efforts in other critical health areas. Notably, free cervical cancer screenings have been provided to 154,228 women, with 8,613 women receiving treatment through thermal ablation.

Additionally, the state conducted prostate cancer screenings for 300 men and screened 312,927 individuals for hypertension and diabetes.

Prof. Abayomi drew attention to the concerning prevalence of non-communicable diseases in the state. “In a population of 30 million, the estimated hypertension prevalence is 20%, and alarmingly, 70% of those affected are unaware of their condition,” he noted.

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He further revealed that Lagos has an obesity rate of 12% and a diabetes prevalence of 6%, with half of those living with diabetes unaware of their status.

Compounding these health challenges is a critical shortage of medical personnel within the state. Prof. Abayomi disclosed the urgent need for an additional 33,000 doctors and 33,000 nurses to adequately meet the healthcare demands of Lagos’s large population. “We currently have 7,000 doctors in the state, but the state needs an additional 33,000,” he stated.

To address this deficit, he expressed optimism about the future output of the Lagos State University of Medicine and Health, which is projected to produce 2,500 healthcare workers annually within the next five years, encompassing doctors, nurses, and laboratory scientists.

In terms of healthcare access, Prof. Abayomi revealed that only a small fraction of registered residents, approximately 1.25 million people (4.17%), have enrolled in the state’s health insurance policy.

However, he expressed confidence that the recently enacted mandatory health insurance law would significantly boost enrolment rates and increase the pool of available healthcare funds. “The new mandatory nature of the state health insurance act would significantly scale up the size of the pool of funds,” he asserted.

Finally, Prof. Abayomi provided an update on key health infrastructure projects, reporting that the New Massey Street Children’s Hospital, the Ojo General Hospital, and the Mental Health Institute in Epe are nearing completion and are expected to be commissioned by April 2026, further bolstering the state’s healthcare capacity.