FIC Report (Lagos State) – As part of efforts to verify the number of persons living with AIDS/HIV in Lagos State, the state government, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health, through the National AIDS and STIs Control Programme (NASCP), is implementing a survey in the 57 council areas across the state.
The project is being undertaken along with national and international partners, including APIN-PHIS3 Project, PEPFAR, US CDC, NACA and other stakeholders in the Nigeria State-Level Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) Impact Survey (AIS) in Lagos.
At a town hall meeting held at Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja, brought together government officials, development partners, health experts, and community leaders under the theme, “Every Step Counts: Towards an HIV-Free Nigeria.”
The survey, which will cover 205 Enumeration Areas, 6,150 households, and approximately 11,397 participants across the 20 local government areas of Lagos State, sought to estimate HIV treatment coverage and viral load suppression among adults aged 15–64 years.
Declaring the meeting open, Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Olusegun Ogboye, emphasised the importance of the exercise in strengthening evidence-based planning for HIV response.
“This is an impact survey that will assess HIV prevalence, treatment coverage, and viral load suppression among adults in Lagos,” Ogboye said. “We count on the cooperation of communities, security agencies, and field workers to make it successful,” he added.
He urged field workers to handle their tasks diligently, stating, “Even though you are one individual in one community, the results you generate will shape national health planning. The success of this survey depends on every one of us.”
Deputy Director, Epidemiology and Strategic Information at the U.S. CDC, Dr. Ibrahim Dalhatu, described the initiative as a people-centred activity, despite its scientific basis.
“This is ultimately about people – the same people who will be engaged and who will benefit from the exercise,” Dalhatu said, adding, “The outcomes will guide important health decisions on HIV and other diseases for Lagos and Nigeria.”
He reaffirmed CDC’s commitment to technical support, stressing that stakeholders must facilitate access for field workers and ensure community acceptance to guarantee credible results.
Representing National Coordinator of NASCP, Dr. Adebola Bashorun, Deputy Director, Prevention at NASCP, Dr. Chioma Ukanwa, described the AIS as a globally recognised exercise vital to epidemic control.
“The survey will reach homes, communities and local governments, providing a true picture of the HIV situation,” Ukanwa stated.
He said, “We need reliable data to make informed decisions and improve healthcare outcomes.”
Ukanwa urged community leaders to sensitise members, stressing that cooperation with data collectors will determine the success of the survey.
Director, Research Monitoring and Evaluation at NACA, Mr. Francis Agbo, said the survey provided an opportunity to track progress towards HIV epidemic control in Lagos.
Agbo stated, “We have just concluded a similar exercise in Akwa Ibom, and Lagos is the next frontier.
“The indicators will help us plan for the future.”
Deputy Director, Department of Surveillance at the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr. Williams Nwachukwu, assured of NCDC’s technical support in ensuring quality data collection and analysis.
“We are here to ensure that data and samples are properly preserved, tested, and analysed with feedback provided,” Nwachukwu said.
Project Director, APIN-PHIS3 Project, Dr. Dare Onimode, described the town hall as another milestone in Nigeria’s fight against HIV.
Onimode stated, “This meeting provides the opportunity to seek your support for the process. The progress made so far is due to the invaluable backing of stakeholders.”
Delivering a goodwill message, a representative of the Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (NEPWHAN), Mr. Patric Akpan, pledged community support to the survey.
“It is essential to generate accurate data because reliable data from Lagos will inform sound policy decisions for Nigeria,” Akpan said.
Director of Disease Control, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Victoria Egunjobi, underscored the need for community trust and participation to ensure credible outcomes.
Egunjobi stated, “Gone are the days when HIV was shrouded in stigma. Today, people living with HIV deserve dignity, respect and universal access to healthcare.” She said. “This survey is about evaluating progress and closing gaps.”
In his presentation on, “Community Mobilization and Advocacy Strategy of the Survey,” Lagos State AIDS Programme Coordinator, Dr. Oladipupo Fisher, explained that the ART Impact Survey would rely heavily on grassroots participation to succeed.
Oladipupo explained that the survey, which will cover 205 randomly selected Enumeration Areas with about 6,150 households and an estimated 11,000 participants, will deploy 30 survey teams supported by mobilisers tasked with sensitising communities.
Fisher emphasised that community mobilisation was crucial to creating awareness, building trust, and encouraging participation in the survey.
“The mobilisation process will be done in three phases—before, during and after data collection—using strategies such as poster placement, town hall meetings, door-to-door visits, and targeted outreach to selected households,” he explained.
Oladipupo stated that mobilisers would also schedule appointments, respond to questions, and monitor perceptions to dispel myths about HIV testing.
Highlighting the role of community mobilisers, he said they would be responsible for distributing brochures, engaging in group and individual conversations, and ensuring households were available for the survey.
“Our aim is to saturate the communities with AIS messages, foster understanding of the survey’s purpose, and ensure households cooperate with field workers,” Fisher said, adding that the exercise would adapt strategies to the unique needs of each Lagos community.
The Nigeria State-Level AIS is supported by PEPFAR, US CDC, NACA, NCDC, APIN Public Health Initiatives, LSACA and other implementing partners and is expected to provide the most reliable state-level data for HIV planning in Lagos.
Signed
Shodipe-Dosunmu Adewole
Principal Information Officer
25/09/2025
