Authorities warn daily that new infections and unsafe practices are leading to silent spread
PESHAWAR:
Nearly 40,000 people in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa are currently living with HIV/AIDS, with 15 to 20 new cases reported daily, provincial health officials revealed on the occasion of World AIDS Day.
Speaking at a press conference at the Peshawar Press Club on Monday, Dr Tariq Hayat Taj, director of the provincial AIDS programme, said only about 9,800 patients were officially registered. He warned that the real number is much higher, as many people avoid getting tested due to social stigma and fear of discrimination.
“Due to harsh societal attitudes, many patients are afraid to get tested,” said Dr. Tariq, emphasizing that this reluctance is fueling the silent spread of the virus.
He highlighted unsafe medical practices, including quacks, illegal street clinics and repeated use of single syringes, as major contributors to the rise in infections. Dr Taj urged the Health Regulatory Authority to take decisive action against such practices.
“Contaminated syringes, if reused, can quickly spread the virus,” he warned, while emphasizing that HIV is no longer incurable. KP patients receive free medicines and lifelong treatment from the provincial government.
According to UN estimates, around 40,000 people in KP and 330,000 across Pakistan are living with HIV, a figure officials have called “extremely alarming”.
During vaccination drives in high-risk areas such as Iqbal Plaza in Peshawar, 197 transgender people tested positive for HIV. Dr Tariq confirmed that all those affected are now receiving treatment.
The virus, he explained, is not limited to sexual transmission. “It can be spread through infected needles, unsterilized equipment in hair and beauty salons, and other unsafe practices,” he said.
Currently, about 60 percent of HIV-positive patients in KP are men, 30 percent women, and 10 percent transgender people. Drug users, transgender communities and sex workers are the most vulnerable groups. “The general population is no longer safe, the virus is silently spreading beyond high-risk groups,” Dr Tariq warned.
