Pakistan, July 3 -- Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on the manufacture and use of substandard syringes on Friday. The directive aims to curb the spread of infectious diseases, including HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C. Hospitals, manufacturers, healthcare workers, and patients across Pakistan will be directly affected by the new measures.

The prime minister issued the directive during a meeting reviewing efforts to prevent communicable diseases, according to the Prime Minister's Office. The meeting included federal ministers, senior health officials, legal authorities, public health experts, and representatives of the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan. Additionally, representatives from the Global Fund and the Ministry of National Health Serv...