ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Health was informed by the health ministry on Tuesday that nearly 20,000 patients who initiated treatment at antiretroviral therapy (ART) centres for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and AIDS are now “missing”.

The committee also rejected the health ministry’s request to hold an in-camera briefing over the issue of HIV.

The NA committee, chaired by MNA Dr Mahesh Kumar Malani, had taken strong notice of the rising trend of HIV and AIDS cases in Pakistan and sought a briefing from the ministry.

Pakistan has become one of the fastest-growing HIV epidemics in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region, with new infections rising by 200 per cent over the last 15 years — from 16,000 in 2010 to 48,000 in 2024.

The ministry informed the committee that an estimated 369,000 people were living with HIV in Pakistan, while only 84,000 cases were currently registered, highlighting a significant detection gap. In 2025 alone, 14,000 new cases were reported.

In a critical revelation, the committee was informed that out of the 84,000 registered cases, nearly 20,000 patients who initiated treatment at ART centres were now “missing”, raising serious concerns about follow-up, counselling and patient retention. The ministry stated that a comprehensive master plan was being developed to address these gaps.

Malani informed the meeting that Health Minister Mustafa Kamal had requested an on-camera briefing. The chair added that the matter was already the focus of public attention, particularly due to reports of over 600 cases of HIV and AIDS reported in Islamabad.

However, committee members Aliya Kamran and Shazia Sobia Aslam Soomro opposed the proposal to hold the meeting on-camera. They emphasised that the issue was of significant public importance and should remain transparent.

Kamran stated that lives were being lost due to AIDS, while Sobia stressed that media presence in the committee proceedings was essential.

During the briefing, Kamal clarified that no new outbreak of HIV or AIDS has occurred this year. He referred to the Taunsa cases reported in 2024, highlighting that for the first time, all related facts were openly shared with the media. He noted that concealing data would be a criminal act.

However, the minister highlighted that HIV/AIDS programmes in Pakistan were largely supported by the Global Fund (GF).

“For the current three-year cycle, Pakistan has received funding amounting to $65 million. Of this, $3.9m has been allocated to the government, while the remaining funds have been distributed to organisations such as Nai Zindagi and UNDP (United Nations Development Programme),” he said.

He claimed that Pakistan has been placed in an “Additional Safeguard Category” by GF. Screening centres across the country receive medicines and syringes through these partner organisations, he said.

The minister also informed the meeting that medical supplies worth $800,000, provided by the GF, were stolen within Pakistan.

The committee noted that Pakistan’s HIV prevalence stood at 0.2 per cent compared to the global average of 0.5pc. However, localised outbreaks such as in Taunsa, Kot Momin and parts of South Punjab pointed to serious failures in infection prevention and control (IPC), unsafe medical practices and weak enforcement, it said.

Members raised alarm over the continued availability of banned syringes in the market despite regulatory prohibitions since 2021, weak monitoring of blood banks and transfusion camps, lack of sustained public awareness campaigns, persistent stigma discouraging testing and treatment and the growing number of “missing patients” who drop out after initial diagnosis.

The meeting was attended by MNAs Zahra Wadood Fatemi, Farah Naz Akbar, Shazia Sobia Aslam Soomro, Shaista Khan, Nikhat Shakeel Khan, Aliya Kamran, Darshan, Sabheen Ghoury, Chaudhry Muhammad Shahbaz Babar and Farukh Khan. The minister for national health, senior officials from the health ministry and its attached departments also participated in the meeting.

Three hospitals in Karachi have recorded a dramatic increase in the number of paediatric HIV cases over the last nine months and their numbers continue to grow, it emerged in April.

Experts at a press conference held on Saturday demanded that the government declare a national health emergency over the “dangerous spread” of the disease, now affecting children in large numbers. They also called for the strict implementation of basic infection control measures and the law on single-use syringes.

The experts further pressed for setting up a national dashboard with credible information on the status of major infectious diseases, including HIV, hepatitis B, C and mpox.