Pakistani health experts have issued a strong warning that the country’s growing HIV epidemic now spreads far beyond traditional high-risk groups. Unsafe medical practices, especially the widespread reuse of syringes, continue to fuel new outbreaks among women and children.
Injection Culture Fuels Preventable Crisis
These were some of the risks explained by physicians during the press briefing held at the Karachi Press Club on Saturday. According to their observations, Pakistan remains among the countries where therapeutic injections are most frequently administered, with an average of eight to 14 doses taken each year. There are many unauthorized clinics and practitioners who continue to reuse their syringes, thereby ensuring the rapid proliferation of HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C.
The net count of HIV-positive individuals has soared by 4.3 times since 2010 and is currently estimated to be close to 350,000. Meanwhile, new cases have risen by 200 percent and reached a staggering figure of 48,000 in 2024. In addition, deaths caused by AIDS have risen by over 500 percent within the last decade and now hover around 14,000 every year. This sad reality can be attributed to the high prevalence of late diagnosis and minimal access to medication.
Weak Enforcement Worsens Outbreaks
Moving on to the recent dangers and risks related to the previous disasters, doctors cited recurrent outbreaks, which can be traced back to the healthcare facilities.
Moreover, doctors emphasized that low standards of infection control in the hospitals and improper blood transfusion procedures complicate the situation significantly.
Overall, healthcare specialists demanded prompt action by the state authorities so that more unnecessary cases do not arise in the future.
