Lagos Unveils Scale of Public Health Crisis as HIV Cases Surpass 135,000 and Medical Workforce Deficit Widens

 

Lagos State is confronting a formidable array of public health challenges, with over 135,000 of its residents currently living with HIV. This stark figure was revealed by the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Professor Akin Abayomi, during a press briefing to commemorate the second anniversary of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s second term.

Speaking candidly about the state’s health profile, Abayomi disclosed that 135,224 individuals are living with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), a statistic that underscores the enduring threat of the virus in Nigeria’s most densely populated state. To counter this, the government has embarked on an ambitious public sensitization strategy that includes enlisting over 100 religious leaders as HIV and AIDS ambassadors.

By leveraging the influence of faith-based institutions, the government hopes to mitigate stigma, enhance testing outreach, and foster trust within communities. “We are using trusted voices to drive education, testing, and treatment in our communities,” Abayomi stated, emphasizing the importance of community buy-in for effective public health interventions.

Lagos is not only grappling with HIV but is also rolling out aggressive campaigns against non-communicable diseases (NCDs), especially cancer, hypertension, and diabetes. Over the past year, 154,228 women have received free cervical cancer screenings, and 8,613 have undergone thermal ablation therapy, a treatment method for pre-cancerous lesions. Meanwhile, 300 men have been screened for prostate cancer, highlighting the government’s bid to mainstream cancer screening into primary healthcare.

Efforts to combat cardiovascular and metabolic diseases have also intensified. Abayomi revealed that 312,927 residents have been screened for hypertension and diabetes, a significant step forward in early detection and prevention. With an estimated hypertension prevalence of 20% in Lagos, nearly 70% of those affected remain unaware of their condition, posing a silent yet significant health risk to the population.

Diabetes is also casting a long shadow over public health, with the commissioner citing a 6% prevalence rate, half of which represents undiagnosed cases. Meanwhile, Lagos is witnessing a rise in obesity, which currently stands at 12%, further compounding risks for chronic illnesses.

While these interventions demonstrate the state’s commitment to improving healthcare access and outcomes, they are unfolding against a troubling backdrop of medical personnel shortages. Abayomi painted a sobering picture of the workforce gap, revealing that Lagos requires an additional 33,000 doctors and an equal number of nurses to meet the current demand for health services.

At present, only 7,000 doctors are practicing across the state, a figure that falls woefully short of what is needed for a population that exceeds 30 million. To close this gap, the Lagos State University of Medicine and Health has been tasked with producing 2,500 healthcare professionals annually within five years, including doctors, nurses, and lab scientists.

Despite the critical importance of healthcare access, the uptake of the state's health insurance scheme remains alarmingly low. According to Abayomi, just 4.17% of registered residents—roughly 1.25 million people—have subscribed to the scheme. However, there is renewed hope that a recently passed law mandating health insurance for all residents will help boost enrollment and generate sustainable funding.

“The new mandatory nature of the state health insurance act would significantly scale up the size of the pool of funds,” the commissioner noted, suggesting that broader participation could enhance the quality and reach of healthcare services.

Looking ahead, Lagos is betting on infrastructure to further bolster its healthcare system. Several flagship projects, including the New Massey Street Children’s Hospital, the Ojo General Hospital, and the Mental Health Institute in Epe, are nearing completion and are expected to be fully operational by April 2026. These developments aim to decentralize care and provide specialized services across different local government areas.

As Lagos presses forward with these reforms, it faces the dual challenge of curbing a complex web of diseases while simultaneously building the systems and workforce necessary to sustain health gains. The state’s proactive stance—ranging from grassroots awareness campaigns to infrastructural expansion—marks a pivotal moment in its journey toward comprehensive healthcare for all.