The Lagos State AIDS Control Agency has moved to address growing concerns over the state’s HIV burden after figures in the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare’s State of the Health of the Nation Report 2025 showed Lagos recording the highest number of HIV cases in the country.

According to the report, Lagos accounted for 10,430 reported HIV cases, ahead of Rivers with 6,287 cases and Kano with 6,106.

However, the agency said the figures have been widely misunderstood.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, LSACA clarified that the 10,430 cases do not represent people who became infected with HIV in 2025. Instead, the figure refers to individuals who tested positive and were officially diagnosed through HIV testing services during the year, many of whom may have been living with the virus long before they were identified.

“The 10,430 cases should not be interpreted as 10,430 new HIV infections that occurred in 2025. Rather, they represent individuals who were diagnosed and recorded through HIV testing services during the year,” the agency stated.

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The clarification shifts attention from the number itself to what it actually represents. Public health experts have long maintained that increased HIV testing often leads to higher diagnosis figures, not necessarily because transmission is rising, but because more people who were previously unaware of their status are being identified and linked to treatment.

LSACA attributed Lagos’ relatively high figure to several factors, including its large population, its position as Nigeria’s commercial centre and its well-established HIV surveillance, testing and reporting systems.

According to the agency, wider access to testing means more residents are discovering their HIV status, allowing healthcare providers to begin treatment earlier and reduce the risk of further transmission.

The explanation aligns with global public health strategies that encourage routine HIV testing as one of the most effective ways to control the epidemic. Early diagnosis allows people living with HIV to begin antiretroviral treatment promptly, improving health outcomes while significantly lowering the chances of transmitting the virus to others.

The clarification also comes against the backdrop of Nigeria’s continuing efforts to reduce new HIV infections and improve access to treatment.

According to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, Nigeria remains home to one of the largest populations of people living with HIV in the world, although new infections and AIDS-related deaths have declined considerably over the past decade due to expanded access to testing and treatment.

Health authorities have repeatedly stressed that undiagnosed HIV remains one of the biggest obstacles to ending the epidemic, making widespread testing essential to identifying people who need care.

LSACA therefore urged residents not to be discouraged by the latest figures but to see them as evidence that more people are accessing HIV testing and treatment services.

The agency encouraged Lagos residents to know their HIV status, stressing that early diagnosis remains one of the most effective ways to manage the virus, protect individual health and reduce its spread within communities.

For health officials, the latest figures are not simply about the number of HIV cases recorded. They also reflect the success of efforts to find people who were previously undiagnosed and connect them with life-saving treatment, an important step in Nigeria’s broader campaign to control HIV.

Meiza Nigeria