Nearly 20,000 HIV Patients Vanish After Starting Treatment, Parliament Told
Pakistan's National Assembly standing committee was informed on Tuesday that nearly 20,000 HIV-positive patients have gone missing after initiating treatment at state-run HIV centres, exposing a critical failure in the country's public health tracking and retention systems.
The alarming figure was presented during a committee session and points to systemic gaps in patient follow-up, data management, and adherence support within HIV treatment infrastructure. The scale of loss to follow-up raises serious public health concerns, as untreated HIV patients remain infectious and are at heightened risk of developing AIDS.
Health officials acknowledged the severity of the disclosure but did not provide a clear explanation for the high attrition rate. Experts have long warned that Pakistan's HIV response has been hampered by stigma, under-resourced facilities, and a fragmented referral system that fails to maintain continuity of care.
Pakistan has seen a sharp rise in HIV cases in recent years, with outbreaks reported in Sindh, Punjab, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The country's HIV burden is increasingly driven by injecting drug use and inadequate harm reduction services, compounding the challenge of retaining patients in treatment.
The committee is expected to summon health ministry officials for a detailed briefing on measures to locate missing patients and overhaul tracking systems at HIV treatment centres nationwide.
Similar Stories
Background and related coverage on this story.
WHO Warns Ebola Deaths Hit 220 as Epidemic Accelerates
The Director-General of the World Health Organization has issued a stark warning that suspected Ebola deaths have reached 220, declaring that the epidemic is outpacing containment efforts. The statement signals a critical deterioration in the public health response as transmission continues to spread faster than intervention systems can respond.
WHO Declares Ebola Outbreak in Central Africa a Global Health Emergency
The World Health Organisation has declared an Ebola outbreak in Central Africa a public health emergency of international concern following approximately 80 suspected deaths, triggering the organisation's highest level of global alert and mobilising international response mechanisms. The declaration activates coordinated international containment protocols and compels member states to heighten surveillance and preparedness measures.
UN Warns Iran War Disrupting Lifesaving Supplies for Children
The United Nations has issued an urgent warning that the ongoing war involving Iran is severely disrupting the delivery of lifesaving medical supplies and humanitarian aid destined for children across the affected region. UN agencies report that conflict-related blockades, damaged logistics infrastructure, and heightened insecurity along supply routes have halted or delayed critical shipments of vaccines, medicines, and nutritional supplements.
WHO Reports 906 Suspected Ebola Cases from Bundibugyo Strain
The World Health Organisation has reported 906 suspected cases and 223 suspected deaths linked to the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, raising serious international public health concerns over the trajectory of the current outbreak. The Bundibugyo strain, first identified in Uganda in 2007, is among the less commonly occurring but virulent variants of the Ebola virus family.
CM Maryam Nawaz Undergoes Major Surgery at Lahore Hospital
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has undergone a major surgical procedure at a hospital in Lahore, a senior Punjab government minister confirmed on Thursday. The disclosure marks the first official acknowledgement of the nature of the procedure, which had previously not been described in detail by provincial authorities.
China Coal Mine Blast Kills at Least 82 in Deadliest Recent Accident
A massive gas explosion tore through a coal mine in China on Monday, killing at least 82 people in one of the deadliest industrial accidents to strike the country's mining sector in recent years. Rescue teams were deployed to the site as authorities confirmed the death toll and warned that it could rise further as operations continue underground.