Korede Abdullah in Lagos
The Lagos State Government has disclosed that over 135,000 residents are currently living with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), marking a significant public health concern in Nigeria’s most populous state.
During a media briefing to commemorate the second anniversary of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s second term, State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, reported, “135,224 residents are living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).”
He emphasized the government’s commitment to combatting this issue by engaging more than 100 religious leaders as HIV and AIDS ambassadors to help reduce stigma and enhance community outreach efforts.
In addition to addressing HIV, the state has initiated various health programs, including free cervical cancer screenings for over 154,000 women and treating more than 8,600 with thermal ablation.
The state has also screened 300 men for prostate cancer and assessed over 312,000 individuals for hypertension and diabetes.
“In a population of 30 million, the estimated hypertension prevalence is 20%, and 70% of them are unaware of the disease,” Abayomi noted, while also reporting a 12% obesity rate and a 6% diabetes prevalence, with many individuals unaware of their conditions.
This underscores the pressing need for increased medical personnel, as the state currently requires an additional 33,000 doctors and nurses to meet healthcare demands.
Despite these challenges, Abayomi expressed optimism about future healthcare improvements. He indicated that the Lagos State University of Medicine and Health is set to produce 2,500 healthcare workers annually over the next five years.
Furthermore, he highlighted the potential impact of the newly passed mandatory health insurance law, stating, “The new mandatory nature of the state health insurance act would significantly scale up the size of the pool of funds.”
Abayomi also announced that key health infrastructure projects, including the New Massey Street Children’s Hospital and the Mental Health Institute in Epe, are nearing completion, with expectations to be commissioned by April 2026.
