Lagos funds antiretrovirals for 147,904 HIV patients
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Punch
Illustrative image · Tahir Xəlfəquliyev · Pexels · Licence PexelsLagos State has begun funding the purchase of antiretroviral drugs to provide treatment for 147,904 people living with HIV. The state AIDS agency is also preparing a ten-year roadmap, covering 2027 to 2037, to strengthen local funding and maintain services, according to Punch.
Lagos State has begun buying antiretroviral drugs with its own funds to provide treatment for 147,904 people living with HIV, the Lagos State AIDS Control Agency (LSACA) has announced, according to Punch. The agency presents the measure as a way to reduce dependence on external funding and maintain care.
LSACA is also preparing a ten-year roadmap, covering 2027 to 2037, to strengthen domestic funding and ensure continuity of HIV-related services. It said the positivity rate in early infant diagnosis fell from 5.1% in 2020 to 1.5% in 2025. The HIV positivity rate declined from 2.4% to 1.9%, despite the expansion of testing.
The agency attributes these developments to prevention, testing, counselling and access to treatment, as well as measures to prevent mother-to-child transmission of the virus. It has also drawn up a strategic HIV response plan for 2025-2027 and an action plan for the same period, with technical support from the National Agency for the Control of AIDS and the United Nations Population Fund.
