3,900 children registered with HIV in 18 months as Pakistan struggles to control unsafe medical practices

Pakistan has registered 3,900 HIV positive children in just 18 months, while the number of people estimated to be living with the virus

Islamabad: Pakistan has registered 3,900 HIV positive children in just 18 months, while the number of people estimated to be living with the virus has reached 417,214, raising serious questions about unsafe medical practices, weak checks on healthcare facilities and delays in preventing the spread of the disease.

The alarming figures were shared by Federal Minister for National Health Services Syed Mustafa Kamal in a written reply to a question by Dr Sharmila Faruqui in the National Assembly. The reply acknowledged that unsafe injections, reuse of syringes and medical equipment, poorly controlled blood transfusions and weak infection control measures were among the major factors linked to recent HIV outbreaks.

The figures show that 3,900 children were registered as HIV positive between January 2025 and June 2026. Sindh recorded the highest number with 1,915 cases, followed by Punjab with 1,765. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa reported 139 cases, Balochistan 46, Islamabad 30, Azad Jammu and Kashmir four and Gilgit Baltistan one.

These figures are higher than the 2,100 nationwide child cases referred to in the original question. The government’s reply provided the updated National HIV Management Information System figures covering January 2025 to June 2026.

The question also referred to more than 130 infected people, mostly children, in Karachi and raised concerns over repeated outbreaks despite the 2019 Ratodero outbreak, in which nearly 900 children were reportedly infected through contaminated syringes.

The government admitted that investigations into the recent outbreaks and the Ratodero incident had identified serious weaknesses in healthcare practices. These included the reuse of syringes and medical equipment, unsafe injections, inadequately screened blood transfusions and poor enforcement of infection prevention rules.

The admission has raised serious concerns about how medical facilities are being monitored and why unsafe practices continue to put patients, particularly children, at risk.

According to the minister, the World Health Organisation and UNAIDS reported that Pakistan was among the countries with the fastest growing HIV epidemics in the Eastern Mediterranean region. New infections increased from around 16,000 in 2010 to 48,000 in 2024, representing a rise of approximately 200 percent.

The government clarified that Pakistan’s HIV epidemic is still classified as concentrated rather than widespread across the general population, with the infection rate among the overall population remaining below 0.1 percent. However, the rising number of infections and the large number of children affected show the seriousness of the challenge.

Another major concern is the actual number of people living with HIV. The National Assembly question referred to an earlier estimate of 350,000 people, but the government said the latest programme figures dated September 22, 2026, put the number at 417,214.

Of these, only 92,148 people have been registered with the national programme, while 67,878 are currently receiving antiretroviral therapy, the lifelong treatment used to control HIV.

This means a large number of people estimated to be living with the virus have not yet been registered or linked to treatment. The government said its main priority was to increase testing, identify infected people and ensure they receive treatment without delay.

The government also disclosed that HIV testing had increased sharply, from 37,944 tests in 2020 to 374,126 in 2025. However, the latest figures on registered patients show that much more work is needed to identify people living with HIV and bring them into the treatment system.

The National Assembly was also informed that the Pakistan Medical Association had expressed serious concern over the situation and described it as a potential national humanitarian catastrophe.

In response to the growing crisis, the Sindh government has announced a Rs2 billion Endowment Fund for the treatment, welfare, rehabilitation and long term care of HIV positive children and their families.

At the federal level, the health minister has directed authorities to strengthen mandatory HIV screening before surgical procedures across the country. Official instructions have been issued to provincial health departments and healthcare regulators to improve screening in both public and private hospitals.

The government said a Joint Working Group on HIV and Hepatitis C had been established to coordinate action between federal and provincial authorities. It is also working with provincial healthcare commissions and the Islamabad Healthcare Regulatory Authority to improve safety standards and prevent further infections.

A major step announced by the government concerns the use of syringes. The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan has approved a phased move away from conventional syringes that can be reused or create a risk of reuse.

Under a decision taken by the DRAP Medical Devices Board on July 9, 2026, restrictions on conventional syringes up to 10cc will take effect from January 1, 2027. Healthcare providers will be required to move towards safety engineered syringes designed to prevent reuse.

The decision is aimed at reducing infections caused by unsafe injections, but it also raises questions about how quickly hospitals, clinics and other medical facilities will comply with the new rules.

The government said the number of antiretroviral treatment centres had increased from 98 to 113 across the country. During 2026, 15 additional centres were established in Sindh. A new treatment centre has also been opened at Valika Hospital in Karachi to provide treatment and follow up services to affected people.

HIV screening has also been started or expanded at airports and selected land and sea entry points, including screening of deportees. The government said arrangements were operating at 14 points of entry in coordination with Border Health Services, the Ministry of Interior, the FIA and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Special support is also being arranged for children living with HIV. The government said nutritional assistance had been arranged with UNICEF, while discussions with the Benazir Income Support Programme and Pakistan Bait ul Mal had been completed to develop a joint plan for further financial, nutritional and social support.

The government has also established a national digital system to record HIV cases and monitor patients. Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Islamabad, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan are connected to the system, while the integration of Punjab’s data system is still in progress.

The system is intended to help authorities track infections, monitor patients who stop attending treatment centres and improve follow up. Work is also under way to connect it with the National Institute of Health’s disease surveillance system.

However, the government’s reply did not provide a specific nationwide completion date for the digital system or a final deadline for full implementation of the new syringe rules beyond the January 1, 2027 restriction date.