Pakistan, July 28 -- Leading public health experts have urged the government to conduct Pakistan's first nationwide HIV prevalence survey, warning that the virus is spreading beyond high-risk groups while the country still lacks accurate data on the true scale of infections. They said reliable national data is essential for developing effective prevention and treatment strategies. Experts also stressed that early detection and stronger surveillance are critical to limiting the spread of HIV across the population.

Prof Shahzad Ali Khan, Vice Chancellor of the Health Services Academy, described the situation as a major public health emergency, noting that 729 children were diagnosed with HIV in Sindh during the first six months of this yea...