Mirian Gom 
ABUJA, Nigeria – The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare is urging Nigerians to ignore a viral graphic falsely claiming that HIV prevalence in Port Harcourt has soared to 86 percent.
The ministry says the claim is fabricated, misleading and inconsistent with any official health data.
In a statement published on X on Sunday, the ministry stresses that the content “is false and does not reflect any official health statistics.” It adds: “No state in Nigeria has an HIV prevalence rate anywhere near the figures quoted. The Ministry has not issued any such advisory, and the wording, numbers, and format circulating are not consistent with official communication.”
The false graphic, which imitates the ministry’s branding, alleges that HIV prevalence rose from 43% to 86%, and claims more than 636,000 people in Port Harcourt are infected. It further attributes 40% of cases to young people aged 16 to 25, ending with a fabricated public warning declaring the city “not safe.”
Officials say none of these claims is real. They explain that accurate HIV data is available through recognised sources such as the National AIDS and STIs Control Programme (NASCP), the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), and periodic ministry publications.
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Oluwafunbi Bello 
Oluwatobi Adu 
Koko Maxwella 
Hussaini Ibrahim