NA panel grills ministry on HIV stats

Flags rising infections, warns incomplete report risks global credibility

ISLAMABAD:

A parliamentary panel expressed serious concern on Friday over "incomplete and potentially misleading" data on HIV/AIDS prevalence in Pakistan, with lawmakers warning that the country could face embarrassment at international forums if flawed reports are shared with global institutions.

The National Assembly's Standing Committee on National Health Services met under the chairmanship of Mahesh Kumar Malani.

The panel was informed that under the National AIDS Programme, approximately $300 to $500 is spent annually on each HIV patient.

PPP's Dr Shazia Sobia Somro slammed a report presented by the health ministry on individuals affected by HIV/AIDS, saying that it omitted hundreds of cases, including around 40,000 patients in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa recorded in 2025, 300 cases reported in Islamabad the same year and between 7,000 and 8,000 patients in Balochistan.

She noted that the report only accounted for 81,000 patients nationwide and failed to mention several regions altogether, warning that its submission to international bodies would damage Pakistan's credibility.

Dr Somro also pointed out that the Islamabad Healthcare Regulatory Authority (IHRA) had been asked to provide updated data but had instead submitted previous reports, adding that illegal abortions were being carried out in up to 60 per cent of cases.

Meanwhile, Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal said it was unrealistic to expect a decade's worth of work to be completed within months, cautioning that estimates of up to 300,000 HIV patients in Pakistan were based on assumptions.

He added that under the Global Fund mechanism, 25 per cent of funding was being channelled to the government while 75 per cent was being disbursed to NGOs.