ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s national HIV taskforce has called for a nationwide crackdown on the sale of reusable syringes and the mislabelling of medical products as part of intensified efforts to contain the spread of HIV, the health ministry said on Saturday.
The move comes after a recent BBC investigation revealed that 331 children in Taunsa, a city in southern Punjab, tested positive for HIV between November 2024 and October 2025 after being exposed to reused syringes.
The investigation also uncovered serious malpractice at the Tehsil Headquarters (THQ) Hospital in Taunsa, where medical staff were allegedly filmed reusing syringe barrels and administering medicines from contaminated multi-dose vials.
In response to the revelations, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif established a special taskforce to investigate the growing number of HIV cases across the country. According to the health ministry, the taskforce held its second meeting on Saturday under the chairmanship of Minister of State for Health Dr Mukhtar Bharath.
The taskforce recommended “strict action” against the sale of reusable syringes and the mislabelling of medical products, the ministry said. It also called for regular inspections of medical centres and pharmacies, alongside tougher penalties for violations of health and safety regulations.
“There is a need to further strengthen infection prevention and control measures,” the taskforce said, adding that HIV testing should be made mandatory during screening processes nationwide.
While Pakistan’s HIV epidemic remains comparatively small in absolute terms when compared with global hotspots, it is among the fastest-growing in Asia. Earlier this month, Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal said that 14,182 people had tested positive for HIV this year out of 374,126 individuals screened at 97 centres across the country.
UNAIDS, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, has repeatedly warned that Pakistan is among the few countries where new HIV infections continue to rise, driven largely by low testing rates and the concentration of cases within marginalised communities.
“Taskforce members have submitted their suggestions and recommendations,” Dr Bharath said. “The taskforce will conduct a comprehensive investigation into incidents involving the reuse of contaminated syringes.”
