Alarming increase in new HIV cases in Pakistan

Islamabad: A worrying increase in new HIV cases has been recorded in Pakistan.

9,713 HIV cases were reported in the first nine months of 2024, with an average of 1,079 people becoming infected with HIV every month across the country.

Officials of the Federal Ministry of Health say that 12,950 HIV cases are expected to emerge in the 12 months of 2024, while 12,731 HIV cases were reported last year.

According to Federal Ministry of Health officials, 69.4 percent of HIV cases so far are men, 20.5 percent are women, 4.1 percent are transgender people, and six are children.

This year, Punjab reported the highest number of HIV cases with 5,691, followed by Sindh with 2,383, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with 926, and Balochistan with 329.

378 HIV cases were reported in Islamabad in nine months and 10 in Azad Kashmir.

Because of the increasing HIV cases, experts and officials warned that HIV is being transmitted from high-risk groups to the general population. The main reasons are low awareness, unprotected sex, and lack of protective measures in health facilities.