ISLAMABAD: The government has decided to draft a national public health law to curb the spread of HIV/AIDS, as health authorities voiced concern over unsafe medical practices, including the reuse of contaminated syringes, which continue to fuel infections in Pakistan.
The decision was taken during a meeting of the federal HIV/AIDS task force chaired by Minister of State for Health Dr Mukhtar Bharath the other day, where officials reviewed the country’s growing HIV burden and discussed measures to strengthen disease surveillance and healthcare regulation.
According to officials, the task force was formed to investigate the causes behind the spread of HIV, identify gaps in the healthcare system and recommend steps to prevent future outbreaks.
Participants of the meeting expressed alarm over the continued use of unsafe injection practices in parts of the country, despite repeated warnings by health experts and previous government campaigns against syringe reuse.
Pakistan has witnessed multiple HIV outbreaks in recent years, particularly in Sindh, where health authorities linked a large number of infections to contaminated syringes, unregulated clinics and poor infection-control standards.
Officials at the meeting said a real-time digital dashboard would be developed to connect data from the National Institute of Health’s Centre for Disease Control and the Central Monitoring Unit in an effort to improve tracking of HIV cases and strengthen coordination between institutions.
The task force also recommended stricter monitoring of hospitals, clinics and laboratories, mandatory HIV screening in relevant medical procedures and stronger enforcement of infection-prevention protocols.
Authorities were further directed to take action against the sale and misuse of reusable syringes, while provincial healthcare commissions were asked to ensure implementation of safety regulations at public and private medical facilities.
Health experts have long warned that Pakistan’s overstretched healthcare system, weak regulatory oversight and widespread use of unqualified medical practitioners continue to undermine efforts to contain infectious diseases, including HIV/AIDS.
