…Insists 10,430 cases are diagnoses, not fresh infectionsBy Chioma Obinna
The Lagos State Government on Thursday dismissed widespread reports that the state recorded 10,430 new HIV infections in 2025, clarifying that the figure represents newly diagnosed cases and not fresh infections, even as it announced a historic move to directly procure antiretroviral drugs, becoming the first sub-national government in Nigeria to do so.
Addressing journalists at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre in Lagos, Chief Executive Officer of the Lagos State AIDS Control Agency, Dr. Folakemi Animashaun, said the reports had been widely misinterpreted and risked creating unnecessary panic among residents.
According to her, the 10,430 figure being circulated in the media reflects persons who tested positive within the reporting period, many of whom may have contracted the virus years earlier but only recently came forward for testing.
“The number widely reported refers to newly diagnosed HIV-positive cases, not necessarily new infections that occurred within the year. These are two very different public health indicators,” Animashaun said.She explained that Lagos, as Nigeria’s most populous state and a major healthcare referral hub, naturally records high testing volumes and patient referrals from across the country, making its diagnosis figures significantly higher than most states.
