Pakistan (Commonwealth Union)_ On the occasion of World HIV Day on December 1, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif voiced alarm over the surge in HIV and AIDS infections in the country. According to the latest figures released by health officials in Islamabad, in the last ten months, a total of 9,773 people tested positive for HIV in the nation, raising major worries over HIV prevention and control measures by the government.
According to the authorities, the increase in HIV infections showed that the virus had spread from important populations to the general public. World HIV Day is annually marked on December 1. Its objective is to focus on the negative consequences of the terrible disease and raise public awareness so that precautions may be taken to avoid falling victim to it. PM Shehbaz Sharif took to Twitter to share the news. “The increasing incidence of HIV & Aids among children and adolescents is deeply worrying,” he wrote.
In order to combat the plague, he encouraged the Ministry of Health to prioritize education, testing, prevention, and treatment awareness. On the occasion of World AIDS Day, the Prime Minister urged everyone to commit to eradicating the stigma associated with HIV. Pakistan has invested hundreds of millions of dollars over the past eleven years from the Global Fund and other foreign charity organizations in an effort to control and prevent the spread of HIV. However, despite these efforts, new cases continue to climb.
Dr. Faisal Mehmood, a prominent infectious disease specialist and HIV expert, spoke about the spread of HIV in Pakistan. According to him, the major reason behind the rising HIV cases in the present compared to the past is that millions of HIV tests are being conducted in the country. Moreover, UNAIDS reports that a considerable proportion of newly infected people are low-risk males, females, and clients of critical populations. This indicates that HIV is spreading to spouses, partners, and clients of key populations.
