Lagos Targets 6,150 Households For HIV Survey

The Lagos State Government has launched the Nigeria State-Level Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) Impact Survey (AIS) successful the state, a household-based inaugural designed to measurement HIV attraction sum and viral load suppression among adults aged 15–64.

Speaking astatine the property briefing held successful Ikeja, the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Olusegun Ogboye, described the survey arsenic a captious milestone successful the combat against HIV/AIDS, noting that its findings would pass planning, fortify systems, and amended attraction for radical surviving with HIV.

Dr Ogboye explained that the AIS volition way 3 large indicators: the fig of radical surviving with HIV identified, the proportionality receiving life-saving antiretroviral therapy, and the percent who person achieved viral suppression.

According to him, viral suppression means that “the magnitude of HIV successful the humor is truthful debased it cannot beryllium transmitted to others.”

The Permanent Secretary stressed that the survey was scheduled to tally from October to December 2025, covering 6,150 households crossed each 20 LGAs of the State. Approximately 11,354 radical volition beryllium interviewed, tested, and counselled, with results provided immediately.

“All information volition beryllium collected confidentially, and anyone investigating affirmative volition beryllium linked to care,” helium assured.

On assemblage participation, Ogboye emphasised that households were randomly selected and cautioned against stigmatizing visited homes. “It is not houses with radical surviving with HIV that are being visited, this survey is not astir marking houses wherever radical are HIV positive, truthful they don’t spell marking each houses that is visited by the enumerators and deliberation it means that there’s idiosyncratic determination with HIV . This is simply a representative, technological workout to reassess advancement and amended assets allocation,” helium said.

He lauded the Lagos State politician for sustained enactment of HIV programs and commended implementing partners, including PEPFAR, US CDC, PHIS3, and the Federal Ministry of Health, for method and fiscal backing. “Together, we determination person to the 2030 extremity of ending HIV arsenic a nationalist wellness threat,” helium concluded.

In his remarks,, Deputy Director for Epidemiology and Strategic Studies, U.S. CDC Nigeria, Dr Ibrahim Dalhatu, reaffirmed America’s committedness to Nigeria’s HIV effect done PEPFAR backing and method support. He stated that the CDC’s relation spans survey design, laboratory testing, information analysis, and prime assurance.

Dr Dalhatu underscored that the survey is “not lone astir data, but astir people, families, and communities.” He added that the workout would make grounds to usher the Lagos State Government and Federal Government successful implementing HIV programs to planetary standards.

He clarified that the enactment of Lagos and Akwa Ibom States was based connected their precocious HIV burden. “This conceptualization began 2 years ago, agelong earlier immoderate backing concerns. Lagos, due to the fact that of its population, has ever been a precedence state,” helium said, assuring that the CDC would stay progressive done dissemination and utilization of results.

Representing the National Coordinator, National AIDS and STIs Control Programme (NASCP), Dr Chioma Nkanwa described the AIS arsenic a large measurement toward epidemic control. She emphasised that assemblage engagement and nationalist information were important to the occurrence of the survey.

Dr Nkanwa highlighted that the findings would usher argumentation direction, simplify programs, and amended sustainability and authorities ownership. “The clearer we recognize the realities connected the ground, the amended we tin plan financing models and interventions that talk to Nigeria’s realities,” she explained.

On his part, Deputy CEO of APIN Public Health Initiatives, representing the organization’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Jay Osi-Samuels praised Lagos State for its committedness and welcomed the collaboration with stakeholders. He described the AIS arsenic “a homegrown survey” conducted by Nigerians for Nigerians, with method input from partners.

He expressed optimism that lessons from Akwa Ibom’s earlier survey would fortify implementation successful Lagos. “We congratulate the radical of Lagos due to the fact that this survey puts HIV involution close astatine their doorstep,” helium added.

Delivering a goodwill message, Director of Research, Monitoring and Evaluation astatine the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), Mr Francis Agbo, commended Lagos State’s estimation for excellence successful wellness interventions. He expressed assurance that the ART Impact Survey would execute its acceptable objectives and output results that would beryllium evident for each to see. “On behalf of our Director-General, I convey our backing and method partners for their invaluable supp...