Rivers, Benue, A’Ibom Top List Of 2m HIV Patients
Rivers, Benue and Akwa Ibom currently top the list of the states mostly affected by the HIV infection in the country.
The 2024 HIV prevalence by states provided by National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) shows that Rivers State has the highest number of people living with HIV, with 208,767 recorded cases, followed closely by Benue State with 202,346 cases, and Akwa Ibom with 161,597 cases.
According to the data, over two million people are currently living with HIV across Nigeria, highlighting the need for sustained efforts in prevention, testing, and access to treatment.
In Lagos State, the country’s commercial capital, the number stands at 108,649, placing it fourth nationwide. Anambra State follows with 100,429 cases, while the Federal Capital Territory reported 83,333 cases, which is one of the highest in the north-central region.
Other states in the high-prevalence bracket include Delta (68,170), Imo (67,944), Enugu (61,028), Edo (60,095), and Taraba (58,460).
The middle tier includes states with reported cases, such as Abia (54,655), Kaduna (54,458), and Kano (53,972).
Plateau State also reported a significant number, with 51,736 people living with HIV, followed closely by Borno (50,433) and Oyo (50,063). Cross River (43,452), Ogun (43,348), and Nasarawa (44,993) make up the mid-range prevalence group.
Adamawa reported 40,059 cases, while states like Gombe (31,825), Jigawa (31,409), Osun (30,714), and Niger (29,756) follow closely behind.
Bauchi reported 28,698, followed by Kogi (28,421), Ondo (27,150), and Katsina (26,788) fall into the lower-middle category, while Bayelsa State reported 25,339 cases.
States with the lowest numbers of recorded cases include Kwara (20,259), Kebbi (19,339), Ekiti (18,857), Sokoto (15,223), Ebonyi (14,151), Zamfara (13,253), and Yobe (11,956).
As of the latest data, 1,753,425 people living with HIV know their HIV status. This includes 1,693,457 adults — 579,209 males and 1,114,401 females; and 54,983 children aged 0–14.
