The federal government has moved to strengthen infection-control measures by making HIV screening mandatory before surgical procedures involving skin piercing or incisions across Pakistan.
Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal issued the directive during a meeting of the Joint Working Group on HIV/AIDS, instructing health authorities to ensure that the screening requirement is formally implemented nationwide. Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan have been asked to issue the necessary notifications, while Sindh, Punjab and the Islamabad Capital Territory have already introduced HIV screening before such surgical procedures.
The move aims to establish a uniform national standard and reduce the risk of healthcare-associated transmission. The health minister also highlighted the need to improve infection prevention and control practices, warning that unsafe injections, weak infection-control systems and gaps in blood safety must be addressed within a coordinated national framework.
During the meeting, special attention was also called for children living with HIV. The minister said their care should go beyond medical treatment and include nutritional, psychosocial and welfare support to improve their quality of life and treatment outcomes. Provincial healthcare commissions are expected to be involved in reviewing infection-prevention practices as part of the broader effort to strengthen patient and healthcare-worker safety.
