Unprecedented rise in human immunodeficiency virus cases in Pakistan: A public health emergency

Human immunodeficiency virus continues to pose a severe global and national public health threat. In Pakistan, human immunodeficiency virus incidence has risen alarmingly, with over 9700 new cases reported in the first nine months of 2024 alone. Transmission is fueled by unsafe sex, needle-sharing, and systemic healthcare lapses, including unscreened transfusions and reused instruments. Sociocultural stigma, limited awareness, and poor treatment adherence especially in rural and underserved areas compound the crisis. Men, transgender individuals, and children represent increasingly affected groups. The role of international bodies such as World Health Organization, United Nations Development Programme, and United Nations Women has been critical in expanding community-based care and education programs. Effective biomedical tools like pre-exposure prophylaxis and post-exposure prophylaxis offer preventive promise but remain underutilized. Pakistan urgently needs an integrated, multispectral response i.e., enhancing surveillance, ensuring antiretroviral therapy access, improving healthcare worker training, and promoting harm reduction and eliminating certain stigmas to control the epidemic and prevent further escalation.