Global Fund allocates $281m to fight HIV, TB, malaria in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The Global Fund has allocated over $281 million from 2023-2025 to fight against HIV, Tuberculosis (TB) and Malaria in a bid to build resilient and sustainable health system in Pakistan. However, the grant will be utilized from January 1, 2024 to Dec 31, 2026.

As many as $181 million have been allocated for TB control, $65 million for HIV prevention as well as treatment and $34 million for Malaria control,” an official of the National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination (NHS,R&C) on Tuesday told The News.

The principal recipients for the Tuberculosis and Malaria are national TB and national malaria control programs respectively, said the official, adding that the principal recipient for HIV is United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and a private organization Nai Zindagi.

As far as Global Fund’s grant for HIV is concerned, it is provided to five sub-recipients, including National Aids Control Program (NACP) and Provincial Aids Control Programs of Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh, said the official. He added that the Common Management Unit (CMU) is negotiating with the Global Fund to make the National Aids Control Program as principal recipient. The experts are of the view that despite spending millions of dollars, new HIV infections increased by 84 percent from 2010 to 2022. Around 25,000 new HIV infections were reported in 2021, whereas 27, 000 are projected in 2022.

“Pakistan is one of the few countries in Asia Pacific Region, where new HIV infections are prevalent. UNAIDS termed the country’s HIV situation a major cause of concern, as per a research journal report. According to National data, over 10,000 people have been diagnosed with HIV from January to December 15, 2022, including 496 from Islamabad Capital Territory.

Experts in the World Health Organization (WHO) believe that new HIV infections were increasing in all four provinces of Pakistan but Punjab and Sindh were the hotbed. Out of 210, 000 HIV cases in Pakistan, 50 percent and 43 percent patients are from Punjab and Sindh respectively.

They added that epidemic remains largely concentrated in key populations, including people who inject drugs, the transgender community, sex workers and men who have sex with men (MSM).

Similarly, TB and Malaria cases are also on the rise in Pakistan. According to WHO officials in Islamabad, Pakistan currently ranks number four in terms of highest TB cases while Malaria cases have doubled in 2022 as against the last year. The country reported 5 million malaria cases this year. They called for complete overhauling and revamping of the HIV, TB and Malaria control programs to prevent new HIV and TB cases.