Pakistan sees eight-fold increase in HIV cases in 11 years

E-Paper | March 15, 2026

ISLAMABAD, Nov 30: Pakistan has seen an eight-fold increase in HIV cases between 2001 and 2012, said a UN report on the eve of the World AIDS Day.

The report, ‘HIV in Asia and the Pacific: Getting to Zero,” released by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, says that emerging epidemics are becoming evident in 12 countries in Asia and the Pacific region, where an estimated 4.9 million were living with HIV in 2012.

The 12 countries account for more than 90 per cent of people living with HIV and of new HIV infections in the region.

The countries are Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.

According to the report, Pakistan introduced the “third gender” option for identity documents and Nepal recognised “third gender” in the national census.

The report points out that inadequate focus on key populations at higher risk of HIV infection and geographical areas with higher HIV burden mean that most countries in the region are not progressing fast enough to reach global targets on HIV prevention, treatment, care and support.

While significant progress has been seen in some countries — with some reducing new HIV infections by over 50pc since 2001 — impact appears to be slowing with overall number of new HIV infections across the region remaining largely unchanged in the past five years.

Total estimated HIV spending in the region in 2012 was $2.2 billion, up 5pc from 2011. Yet, the AIDS response in the region remains under-funded. To achieve the 2015 annual investment target in low- and middle-income countries in Asia and the Pacific, UNAIDS estimates that about $5.4bn must be mobilised.

According to the report, new HIV infections in the region remain concentrated among key populations: people who buy and sell sex, people who inject drugs, men who have sex with men, and transgender people. The fastest-growing epidemics in the region are among men who have sex with men. These epidemics are typically concentrated in major cities.

The report calls for a rapid increase of voluntary confidential community-based HIV testing and counselling for populations at higher risk in the region.

In a message on the AIDS Day, President Mamnoon Hussain said that as HIV is an issue of global concern it is important that the international community focuses on AIDS prevention and cure in the less developed countries and thereby help make Pakistan and the whole world HIV and AIDS free.

He said that promulgation of ‘Blood Safety Ordinance’ both at federal and provincial levels and supply of diagnostic kits and laboratory consumables and equipment to all provincial, AJK, Fata and federal centres are critical advances in the fight against the disease.

Pakistan

Amin Ahmed is an Islamabad-based correspondent for Dawn with nearly two decades of experience in the field. He reports on socio-economic development, agriculture, and privatisation, as well as parliamentary committees.

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Pakistani

Dec 01, 2013 03:03pm

This is very sad alarming, where are we heading towards.

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Brig (R) Waheed Uz Zaman Tariq

Dec 01, 2013 04:18pm

When I came back to Pakistan in 1988, after my training in England in Medical Virologist, I was the first properly trained in virology. Back in England, I had been playing with the HIV virus in the lab and attending the cases of a AIDS in the wards. Pakistan was in the phase of denial. We had a Tanzanian sailor dying with AIDS in Karachi, a year earlier. Maulana Edhi had to single handed bury him after his single man funeral. Then we had an early phase of the deported expatriate Pakistanis from the Middle East with the HIV infection. Despite we being the largest contributors of the troops to the UN, we could save all of them during their deployment in highly endemic zones. That success made me the member of the UN regional and global task forces on AIDS. I was incorporated in many International projects on AIDS. We were defeated by an upsurge of cases in the intravenous drug addicts in early 2000s. This highly mobile group which was linked with truck traffic, gays and hijras as well as free roaming prostitutes was UN reachable and inert to health education. This group was a volatile, mobile, dynamic and fast changing from one group to another. Pakistan has multiple problems of hypo racy, denial and secrecy. All routs of transmission if HIV existed in Pakistan. We are a complex society. We had different priorities and AIDS was not at the top. The money which we had from international agencies went somewhere but used for a fight against HIV. No we have to deal with the problem with another vigour. My generation is retired and is at a stage when it can share the experience and discomfort. The battle has to be fought by the youth. Indeed, AIDS is the problem of youth. The elder lot is concerned because their bread earners are suffering.

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Shri

Dec 01, 2013 11:50pm

Whenever statistics about AIDS patients in India were published, some Pakistanis used to make fun of India because according to them it did not exist in Pakistan. I had in my comments stated that there is no proper testing done in Pakistan that's why you don't know. Now the reality is in front of all of us. The learning point for all of us is that it has reached alarming proportions in South Asia and we must act instead of living in denial.

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Agha Ata

Dec 02, 2013 01:29am

Very strict morality would encourage hypocrisy, heroin addiction and HIV, Everybody claims to be a true Muslim, how many true Muslims there are we do have some idea. We banned alcohol, and now we have heroin addiction, Consensual sex is a BIG sin, and prostitution and HIV has increased. Of course we have no solution. All what I am saying is that in any jail, a little window for fresh air is a must. Even in the army, when you corner an enemy you do leave a small loophole in the siege.

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Observer

Dec 02, 2013 02:52am

Two interesting facts from the articles are: 1.Pakistan sees eight-fold increase in HIV cases in 11 years 2.The fastest-growing epidemics in the region are among men who have sex with men.

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Raheem Uddeen

Dec 02, 2013 09:20am

HIV is a form of punishment from our Lord if we deviate from straight path. Given the fact that vulgarity was purposely spread and nourished in our society during last 11 years that leads to illicit sex, consequences such as AIDS are not unexpected.

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Raman

Dec 02, 2013 03:02pm

Globally, all countires undercount their diseased subjects. This is true especially when it comes to AIDS and polio. The most undercounted people come from Pakistan and China. If not achnowledged or accepted both these countries will pay enormous price. The fact is when it comes to AIDS it is a blood borne or body fluid trnasmitted disease. In many ways this could be contacted including prostitution, an acknowledgement would incur wrath from Islamic fundamentalist and other puritans.

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tnemeganam

Dec 02, 2013 03:03pm

Can the writer tell us the current number of patients i.e. after increase?

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Pakistani

Dec 02, 2013 03:39pm

@Brig (R) Waheed Uz Zaman Tariq: thanks for sharing your experience. we heard first time about HIV in 1994 when it came on a TV ad in which actor Talat Hussain was present. Eve before that a common Pakistani had not even heard of it. As you said in your post this is going way back then 1994 from mid 80's and was such a taboo subject till 94's that no one even talked about it. Now it's 2013 Pakistan sees eight-fold increase in HIV cases in just 11 years.How can we stop it how can we correct our societies such trend which are resulting in such kind of deastour for individual and families.

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Gp65

Dec 03, 2013 12:17pm

@Raheem Uddeen: It is not the prevalence of AIDS but diagnosis and reporting of AIDS that has increased. Even now I am sure it is seriously underdiagnosed and reported due to social stigma. You cannot solve problems that you do not acknowledge.

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