Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Department releases data on HIV infections

The Health Department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has released data revealing a significant increase in HIV cases in the province. According to the department, 1,147 new cases of HIV were reported this year, bringing the total number of registered HIV patients in the province’s hospitals to 8,356.

The report shows that among the registered patients, 6,105 are men, 2,080 are women, and 171 are transgender individuals who have been diagnosed with the virus. In Peshawar alone, 250 new cases were reported this year.

The Health Department further stated that HIV-related deaths in the province have reached 1,486 this year. The report also highlights that a total of 1,378 HIV patients are from the newly merged districts, with 352 cases linked to Afghanistan, 112 to Punjab, 33 to Sindh, 11 to Balochistan, 14 to Gilgit-Baltistan, and 5 to Azad Kashmir and Islamabad.

The Health Department has called for enhanced awareness and preventive measures to curb the spread of HIV in the region.