ISLAMABAD (Kashmir English): The Ministry of Health has reported 3,900 AIDS patients across the country, with Sindh recording the highest number.
According to the Ministry of Health’s response submitted to the National Assembly, Sindh has 1,915 AIDS patients, followed by Punjab with 1,765 such cases.
AIDS patients
The reported figures for other regions of the country include 139 patients in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, 46 in Balochistan and 30 in Islamabad. Azad Kashmir has four reported AIDS patients, while Gilgit-Baltistan has only one.
The ministry further reported that Pakistan has an estimated 417,214 people living with HIV, but only 92,148 have been registered.
According to federal health minister, Pakistan recorded approximately 16,000 new HIV infections annually in 2010. By 2024, the number had risen to 48,000 a year, recording an increase of around 200 percent.
The minister also highlighted a substantial rise in HIV screening across the country. Pakistan conducted 37,944 HIV screenings in 2020, a figure that increased to 374,126 in 2025.
According to official figures, an estimated 417,214 people are affected by HIV in Pakistan, but only 92,148 are registered. Of those registered, 67,878 are currently receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART).
Rising HIV cases among children
The minister described the increasing number of HIV cases among children in Pakistan as alarming.
He identified unsafe injections, reuse of syringes and unsafe blood transfusions as factors contributing to the spread of the virus.
To improve access to treatment, according to the minister, 15 new HIV treatment centres have been established in Sindh in 2026, taking the total number of such centres across the country to 113.
