ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination informed a National Assembly (NA) panel on Tuesday that an estimated 369,000 people were living with HIV in Pakistan, while only 84,000 cases were currently registered, highlighting a significant detection gap.
The Standing Committee on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination, chaired by Dr Mahesh Kumar Malani, MNA, took a strong notice of the rising trend of HIV/AIDS cases in Pakistan, said a press release on Tuesday. The committee conducted a comprehensive review of the country’s
HIV situation, terming the issue “urgent, sensitive and requiring coordinated national action.”
Besides informing the current estimated figures of patients suffering from HIV, the ministry also informed the committee that in 2025 alone, 14,000 new cases were reported. While screening capacity had expanded dramatically from 37,000 tests in 2020 to over 374,000 in 2025, members expressed concern that increased detection must not be mistaken for control.
In a critical revelation, the NA panel was informed that out of 84,000 registered cases, nearly 20,000 patients who initiated treatment at ART centres were now “missing,” raising serious concerns about follow-up, counselling and patient retention. The ministry stated that a comprehensive master plan was being developed to address these gaps. The committee noted that Pakistan’s HIV prevalence stood at 0.2% compared to the global average of 0.5%, yet localised outbreaks such as in Taunsa, Kot Momin and parts of south Punjab point to serious failures in infection prevention and control (IPC), unsafe medical practices and weak enforcement.
Highlighting a major cause of transmission, the ministry informed that the last year’s outbreak in a local hospital of Karachi was linked to the use of 10cc syringes, which were not previously banned. It was stated that all reusable syringes, including 10cc variants, would be phased out and brought under strict regulatory control.
The committee called for immediate roll-out of auto-disable syringes, including 10cc variants, strengthened enforcement against unsafe medical practices, nationwide awareness campaigns to eliminate stigma, detailed district-wise data on HIV cases and outbreak investigations, and a clear, time-bound national action plan to contain the spread.
