Pakistan in grip of HIV AIDS epidemic as cases triple in 15 years, virus spreading rapidly due to…
According to the report, only 21 percent of those infected were aware of their disease in 2024.
New Delhi: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection has now reached epidemic proportions in Pakistan. HIV cases have increased by more than 200 percent in the last 15 years, meaning cases have tripled in Pakistan. According to reports, from 16,000 cases in 2010, this number has risen to 48,000 by 2024. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Pakistan is facing the fastest-growing HIV epidemic in the Eastern Mediterranean region.
World AIDS Day
According to a report in the Pakistani newspaper ‘Dawn’, this information was shared during an awareness walk organized by WHO and UNAIDS on the occasion of World AIDS Day, December 1. Most worryingly, HIV, previously confined primarily to high-risk groups (such as injecting drug users), is now rapidly spreading to children, spouses, and the general population.
What are the main causes of HIV spread?
- Unsafe blood transfusion
- Repeated use of contaminated needles/injections
- Severe deficiencies in infection control
- Lack of HIV testing in prenatal care
- Unprotected sex
- Social stigma associated with HIV
- Limited access to treatment and testing facilities
Children are most vulnerable
According to the report, approximately 350,000 people in Pakistan are infected with HIV, but approximately 80% of these are completely unaware of their status. The impact on children is particularly dire. New HIV cases among children aged 0-14 years were projected to increase from 530 in 2010 to 1,800 by 2023. The number of patients receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) has increased eightfold over the past decade. The number of ART centers increased from 6,500 in 2013 to 55,500 in 2024. Similarly, the number of ART centers increased from 13 in 2010 to 95 in 2025.
The situation remains dire
According to the report, only 21 percent of those infected were aware of their disease in 2024. Shockingly, only 16 percent of these individuals were receiving treatment, and only 7 percent had suppressed their viral load. The report states that more than 1,100 people died from AIDS in 2024. According to the Dawn report, in many cases, more than 80% of cases were among children. The most tragic fact is that only 38 percent of HIV-positive children aged 0-14 are receiving treatment.
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