ISLAMABAD: The capital city, Islamabad, has experienced a concerning increase in Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infections, with over 600 new cases reported in the past 15 months.
Official statistics indicate that between January 2025 and March 2026, a total of 618 individuals were diagnosed with the virus, averaging more than 41 new cases per month.
The data reveal that young men constitute the largest group of infected individuals, representing 64% of the total cases. Among the reported cases, there are 397 men, 106 women, 93 transgender individuals, and 22 children.
Further analysis shows that 498 of these cases were recorded in 2025, while an additional 120 new cases were confirmed in the first three months of 2026.
Health experts have expressed serious concerns about the rapid spread of HIV, particularly among young people. They attribute this rise to the use of drugs, especially crystal meth (ice), which is promoting unsafe behaviors and contributing to the accelerated transmission of the virus.
July 2025 recorded the highest number of cases, with 63 reported infections, while both June and December saw the lowest rates, each with 31 cases.
Experts warn that the overall number of HIV patients across Pakistan has now reached approximately 300,000, indicating a significant public health crisis. With infection rates rising, immediate measures are needed to address this growing epidemic.
Read also: Seminar stresses urgent action on rising HIV cases in KP
Like other parts of the world, participants at a seminar expressed concern over the rapidly increasing cases of HIV and stressed timely diagnose and treatment of the disease.
Aid control program s seminar was held in Peshawar on World AIDS Day. The seminar was organized by the non-governmental organization ‘Da Hawa lor’ and AIDS Control Program. Health experts expressed concern over the rapidly increasing cases of HIV and stressed on timely testing and treatment.
The biggest obstacle to the eradication of AIDS is social stigma and ignorance. CIO The Hawa Lor Khurshid Bano said. Sheh added that it was very important to remove misconceptions about HIV, so that people can get tested without fear. “We should hate the disease instead of the patient so that this disease can be eradicated. The reason for the increase in the number of HIV patients is social pressure and lack of information” Khurshid Bano remarked.
