NA panel rejects in-camera briefing as HIV crisis sparks transparency concerns

ISLAMABAD: With human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) cases in the country becoming a matter of growing concern for stakeholders, the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Health on Tuesday rejected the health ministry’s request to hold an in-camera briefing on the spread of HIV.

MNA Dr Mahesh Kumar Malani, who cha­ired the parliamentary committee, infor­med members that Minister for National Health Services Mustafa Kamal had requested an in-camera meeting, citing heightened public attention, particularly following reports of over 600 HIV/AIDS cases in Islamabad.

Committee members Aliya Kamran and Shazia Sobia Aslam Soomro opposed the proposal, emphasising that the issue was of significant public importance and should remain transparent. Kamran said lives were being lost due to AIDS, while Sobia stressed that media presence in committee proceedings was essential.

During the briefing, Kamal clarified that no new HIV/AIDS outbreak had occurred this year. Referring to the Taunsa cases reported in 2024, he said that, for the first time, all related facts had been openly shared with the media, adding that concealing data would be a criminal act.

20,000 HIV patients ‘go missing’ from treatment as detection gap widens

However, the minister partly attributed challenges to reliance on foreign donors, noting that HIV/AIDS programmes in Pakistan were largely supported by the Global Fund.

“For the current three-year cycle, Pakistan has received funding amounting to $65 million. Of this, $3.9m has been allocated to the government, while the remaining funds have been distributed to organisations such as Nai Zindagi and UNDP,” he said.

He added that Pakistan had been placed in an “Additional Safeguard Category” by the Global Fund, with screening centres across the country receiving medicines and syringes through partner organisations.

The minister also disclosed that medical supplies worth $800,000, provided by the Global Fund, had been stolen.

According to the ministry, an estimated 369,000 people are living with HIV in Pakistan, while only 84,000 cases are currently registered, highlighting a significant detection gap. In 2025 alone, 14,000 new cases were reported.

20,000 patients missing

In a critical revelation, the committee was informed that of the 84,000 registered cases, nearly 20,000 patients who had initiated treatment at ART centres were now “missing”, raising serious concerns about follow-up, counselling and patient retention. The ministry said a comprehensive master plan was being developed to address these gaps.

The committee noted that Pakistan’s HIV prevalence stands at 0.2pc, compared to the global average of 0.5pc. However, localised outbreaks in areas such as Taunsa, Kot Momin and parts of south Punjab point to serious failures in infection prevention and control, unsafe medical practices and weak enforcement.

Members raised alarm over the continued availability of banned syringes in the market despite regulatory prohibitions since 2021, weak monitoring of blood banks and transfusion camps, and lack of sustained public awareness campaigns.

Meanwhile, Kamal chaired a meeting to review progress for the elimination of hepatitis C. The primary objective was to assess the operational readiness of hepatitis C diagnostic counters across the country.

Published in Dawn, May 6th, 2026