Pakistan is facing a severe public health crisis, marked by a dramatic surge in HIV, drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB), and malaria cases, according to reports and a new audit by The Global Fund.

The Pakistan Islamic Medical Association (PIMA) expressed grave apprehensions regarding the findings, which reveal a 400% escalation in HIV fatalities, 70% of drug-resistant TB infections going undetected, and an increase in malaria occurrences.

PIMA”s Central President, Prof. Atif Hafeez Siddiqui, attributed this emergency to the placement of unqualified personnel in critical healthcare roles. He cited the appointment of a non-medical professional as Deputy Coordinator of the TB control program as a prime illustration, a move that disregards High Court directives, merit, and advertising protocols.

Prof. Siddiqui stressed that successive administrations have systematically sidelined healthcare experts from policy formulation, opting instead for the counsel of preferred individuals. Physicians and other medical staff in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, in particular, experience mounting pressure, instability, and demoralization under the pretext of reforms, he added. These choices erode institutional trust and endanger public well-being.

In response to The Global Fund”s discoveries, PIMA has requested a transparent, high-level investigation. The organization also advocated for the selection of competent and experienced specialists for key positions, shielding national health initiatives from political interference, and formally integrating medical professionals into policy decisions to enhance public health outcomes.