Pakistan has recorded 84,000 registered HIV cases as health officials warn of an increase in infections linked to unsafe medical practices [1].
This surge represents a critical failure in infection control and hospital oversight. The crisis is particularly acute among children, where medical negligence has turned healthcare facilities into vectors for a lifelong disease.
Health Minister Mustafa Kamal said that 61,000 patients are currently receiving treatment [1]. However, approximately 23,000 registered patients have not been traced or are not receiving necessary care [1]. This gap in patient tracking raises significant concerns regarding funding and government oversight of the national health response.
Separate reports highlight a specific crisis involving minors. More than 300 children tested positive for HIV at a government hospital [2]. Allegations suggest the infections resulted from the reuse of needles, and unsafe care practices [2]. Similar outbreaks have been reported in hospitals within Karachi [3].
Dr. Zafar Mirza, the former Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health, said on the matter in April 2026. He called for urgent health reforms and increased transparency to combat the rising numbers [4]. Mirza said that the epidemic is being fueled by inadequate infection-control measures in medical facilities [5].
Experts have sounded alarms over what they describe as a surging healthcare-linked epidemic [3]. The combination of insufficient funding and a lack of strict regulatory oversight has allowed unsafe injection practices to persist in several regions [1], [5].
“84,000 registered HIV cases in Pakistan”
The rise in HIV cases within Pakistani clinical settings indicates a systemic collapse of basic sterilization protocols. When a government hospital becomes a source of infection for hundreds of children, it suggests that the crisis is not merely a lack of resources, but a failure of institutional accountability. The fact that 23,000 patients remain untraced further complicates the public health response, as these individuals may unknowingly transmit the virus while lacking access to antiretroviral therapy.
