Lagos digitises 514 private health providers, deploys community TB molecular testing
The Lagos State Ministry of Health has digitised 514 private health providers and rolled out community-based molecular tuberculosis diagnostics to strengthen disease surveillance and improve early detection. The intervention forms
The Lagos State Ministry of Health has digitised 514 private health providers and rolled out community-based molecular tuberculosis diagnostics to strengthen disease surveillance and improve early detection.
The intervention forms part of broader efforts to curb malaria transmission and close gaps in TB diagnosis across the state.
Speaking at a health summit in Ikeja, the Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, said malaria test positivity in Lagos has stabilised at about five per cent, reinforcing the state’s classification as a low-transmission setting. He, however, noted that more than 66 per cent of tuberculosis cases remain undetected annually.
Abayomi disclosed that over 77,000 fever cases were tested across more than 500 facilities in 2025 using rapid diagnostic kits, with findings indicating that about 95 per cent of fever cases in Lagos were not malaria-related.
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He added that following the enforcement of mandatory testing before treatment, malaria positivity dropped below one per cent in March 2025 and has since fluctuated between four and five per cent during peak periods.
To strengthen surveillance, the state expanded coverage to the private sector, where over 60 per cent of residents seek care, by converting community pharmacies and Patent Medicine Vendors into digitally connected reporting centres. This integration enabled more than 80,000 diagnostic tests to be captured within the system.
On tuberculosis, the commissioner said Lagos accounts for approximately nine per cent of Nigeria’s TB burden. In the second quarter of 2025, only 3,565 of an estimated 6,038 cases were detected, leaving thousands undiagnosed and sustaining transmission.
To address the gap, the state has begun deploying the PlusLife MiniDock, a portable molecular diagnostic platform, across its digital provider network to decentralise TB testing and improve case detection at the community level.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, represented by Secretary to the State Government Abimbola Salu-Hundeyin, reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to prioritising disease surveillance and early testing, particularly for malaria and tuberculosis.
Health officials said the malaria digitisation initiative has been integrated into the Lagos State Health Management Agency system to ensure sustainability and long-term funding. Broader reforms include expansion of health infrastructure, digital health information systems, and insurance coverage.
The summit also featured the unveiling of a statewide TB diagnostic scale-up campaign tagged End TB Now, aimed at enhancing early detection and treatment coverage.
Officials noted that Lagos is transitioning from malaria control to elimination and from facility-based TB diagnosis to decentralised, technology-driven detection, while acknowledging ongoing challenges in identifying undiagnosed tuberculosis cases and maintaining surveillance coverage.
