ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Islamic Medical Association (Pima) has expressed deep concern over the latest audit report by the Global Fund, highlighting deteriorating state of public health and the failure of government policies and called for a high-level transparent inquiry in the light of the report.

“These reports highlight alarming figures, including a 400pc increase in deaths due to HIV in Pakistan, 70pc of drug-resistant TB cases going undiagnosed, and a rise in malaria cases. These statistics clearly reflect the deteriorating state of public health and the failure of health policies in the country,” Central President of Pima Prof. Atif Hafeez Siddiqui said.

He stated that a major cause of this crisis was the appointment of incompetent and irrelevant individuals in key health institutions.

“A recent example is the appointment of a non-medical person as Deputy Coordinator in the TB control programme—an act that violates not only the orders of the High Court but also merit and advertisement requirements,” he said.

He emphasised that past and present governments have deliberately excluded healthcare professionals from the policy-making process, relying instead on the advice of favoured individuals.

“In particular, doctors and health workers in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are facing pressure, uncertainty, and discouragement under the guise of reforms. Such decisions not only damage institutional credibility but also put public lives at risk,” Dr Siddiqui said.

Pima has called for a high-level transparent inquiry in the light of the Global Fund report.

It has also demanded that only qualified, experienced, and relevant experts be appointed to key positions; that national health programmes be free from political influence; and that doctors and health professionals be formally included in policymaking to ensure better and more effective decisions in the public interest.

Published in Dawn, July 20th, 2025