HIV cases surpass 14,000 in a year, Senate told amid health concerns

Senator Humayun Mohmand on Friday raised alarm over the increasing number of HIV and measles cases in the country, saying more than 14,000 HIV cases had been reported within a year.

Speaking during a Senate session, Mohmand said that over 1,000 new HIV cases were being reported every month, warning that the situation was becoming increasingly serious. He added that nearly 80 per cent of the reported HIV cases had emerged from the provinces of Punjab and Sindh.

The senator also expressed concern over the spread of measles, saying the disease was rapidly increasing across the country and required immediate attention from health authorities.

Criticising governance and administrative decisions, Mohmand said that in Sindh, a secretary had been removed from office only to later be appointed as the head of a project. He questioned the effectiveness of such decisions and called for greater accountability within the system.

Highlighting the country’s economic challenges, the senator said production in 22 major industries had declined over the past four years to levels even lower than those recorded a decade ago. He warned that the decline in industrial output reflected broader economic difficulties being faced by the country.

Mohmand further criticised the healthcare system and the trend of seeking medical treatment abroad. Referring to reports of people travelling overseas on low-value stamp papers, he said Pakistan needed to strengthen its own healthcare infrastructure so citizens could receive quality treatment within the country instead of looking abroad for medical care.