Pakistan’s HIV crisis has entered a dangerous new phase after health officials revealed that nearly 20,000 patients who started HIV treatment are now missing from the healthcare system. The disclosure was made during a National Assembly Standing Committee on Health meeting, where lawmakers described the situation as urgent and requiring coordinated national action. Officials warned that the disappearance of such a large number of patients raises serious concerns about follow up systems, counselling, treatment continuity and patient monitoring across the country.
According to the Ministry of National Health Services, Pakistan currently has an estimated 369,000 people living with HIV, but only 84,000 cases are officially registered. This means nearly 285,000 people may still be undiagnosed or outside the healthcare system entirely. The ministry also confirmed that 14,000 new HIV cases were recorded in 2025 alone, showing that infections continue to rise despite increased screening efforts.
Fastest Growing HIV Epidemic in the Region
Pakistan has now become one of the fastest growing HIV epidemics in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region. Over the past 15 years, infections have surged by 200 percent, increasing from 16,000 reported cases in 2010 to 48,000 in 2024. Health officials warned lawmakers that while testing capacity has dramatically expanded from 37,000 screenings in 2020 to more than 374,000 in 2025, detecting more cases should not be mistaken for controlling the epidemic.
The committee highlighted that Pakistan’s HIV prevalence remains lower than the global average at 0.2 percent compared to 0.5 percent worldwide. However, repeated local outbreaks in places such as Taunsa, Kot Momin, Karachi and parts of South Punjab exposed severe failures in infection prevention systems, unsafe medical practices and weak enforcement of health regulations. Experts stressed that these outbreaks are warning signs of deeper structural failures in public health management.
Unsafe Syringes Blood Risks and Weak Enforcement
One of the most alarming revelations during the briefing was the continued circulation of banned syringes despite restrictions being in place since 2021. Officials stated that outbreaks such as the Walika incident in Karachi were linked to unsafe 10cc syringes that had not previously been banned. The ministry said all reusable syringes including 10cc variants would now be phased out under stricter regulation.
Committee members also raised serious concerns over weak monitoring of blood banks and transfusion camps, poor infection control standards and the lack of sustained public awareness campaigns. Health experts warned that unsafe injections, contaminated medical equipment and poor hygiene practices remain major drivers of HIV transmission in Pakistan. They stressed that enforcement failures are allowing dangerous practices to continue unchecked in both formal and informal healthcare settings.
Stigma Fear and Treatment Dropouts
Officials acknowledged that stigma surrounding HIV remains one of the biggest barriers preventing people from seeking testing and treatment. Fear of discrimination continues to discourage patients from returning for follow ups, resulting in thousands disappearing from treatment programs after diagnosis. Lawmakers warned that silence and misinformation are helping the virus spread further while patients avoid care out of fear and shame.
The committee stressed that awareness campaigns in Pakistan remain weak and inconsistent despite the growing crisis. Members argued that public education is critical to reducing stigma and encouraging early testing. They also called for district wise outbreak data, transparent reporting and faster investigations whenever clusters of infections emerge.
Funding Problems and Medical Supply Theft
Health Minister Mustafa Kamal informed the committee that HIV programs in Pakistan are heavily dependent on international funding through the Global Fund. Pakistan received around 65 million dollars for the current funding cycle, with most of the resources distributed through partner organisations such as UNDP and Nai Zindagi. However, officials admitted that Pakistan has been placed in an Additional Safeguard Category by the Global Fund due to oversight concerns.
In another shocking disclosure, the minister revealed that medical supplies worth 800,000 dollars provided by the Global Fund had been stolen inside Pakistan. The statement intensified concerns about governance failures within the healthcare system as lawmakers questioned how a country already struggling with a growing HIV epidemic could afford major losses in life saving medical resources.
Calls for Emergency Action and National Transparency
Medical experts and lawmakers are now calling for immediate nationwide action to stop the epidemic from spiraling further. Recent reports from Karachi hospitals also showed a worrying increase in pediatric HIV cases over the last nine months, with experts demanding the declaration of a national health emergency. They called for strict enforcement of single use syringe laws, nationwide awareness drives and the creation of a national infectious disease dashboard to track HIV, hepatitis and other major outbreaks.
The National Assembly committee ultimately rejected attempts to hold parts of the HIV briefing behind closed doors, arguing that transparency is essential in a crisis affecting public safety. Lawmakers insisted that hiding information would only worsen the epidemic. Officials warned that Pakistan is approaching a critical point where failure to control unsafe medical practices, improve patient retention and reduce stigma could allow the HIV crisis to spread even faster in the coming years.
Sources: Dawn \ The Express Tribune \ The Nation \ National Assembly Press Release
