Home / Health / Pakistan's HIV Crisis: Alarming Rise, Funding Cuts
Pakistan's HIV Crisis: Alarming Rise, Funding Cuts
1 Dec
Summary
- Pakistan faces the second fastest HIV increase in Asia.
- Over 15 children diagnosed with HIV in Karachi hospital.
- HIV response hampered by funding cuts and data gaps.
World AIDS Day highlights the persistent global HIV/AIDS crisis, with Pakistan facing a critical escalation. The country has the second-fastest rate of HIV increase in the Asia-Pacific region, driven by sexual contact, contaminated equipment, and unsafe blood transfusions. UNAIDS reports millions globally living with HIV, with many lacking access to treatment, and significant new infections and deaths occurring annually.
Recent events underscore the severity of Pakistan's situation, including over 15 children diagnosed with HIV at a Karachi hospital and a rising provincial graph with thousands of registered HIV-positive children in Sindh. Balochistan also reported a substantial increase in new cases. These localized outbreaks are compounded by broader systemic issues, including insufficient political will and a fragile health infrastructure.
The response to HIV/AIDS in Pakistan is severely compromised by insufficient resources and funding cuts, impacting crucial programs like the National AIDS Control Programme. Treatment centers are inadequate, and an overreliance on foreign donors has become problematic. Addressing this complex challenge requires a multifaceted, human rights-centered approach to ensure health equity and dignity for all affected individuals, aiming to end AIDS by 2030.
