Islamabad: In a major failure in Pakistan’s efforts to combat infectious diseases, the World Fund for the Fighting of AIDS, Tuberculosis and Majesty has reduced its financial support in the country for the current grant cycle, reporting it. The news reported.
The cut comes as Pakistan faces a sharp increase in HIV, tuberculosis (TB) and malaria cases, while its national health programs continue to face leadership gaps and administrative mismanagement.
According to an official letter sent by the World Fund to the Pakistani authorities, the country’s total distribution, according to a subsidy cycle (GC7), decreased from $ 250.8 million to US $ 223.6 million, a US $ 27 million reduction.
The funds were initially distributed between the key national and international partners who apply prevention, diagnosis and treatment services in Pakistan.
Among the toughest blows is the national tuberculosis control program, which distribution has fallen from $ 145.7 million to $ 129.9 million.
The HIV/AIDS item implemented by the AIDS National Audit Program and the UNDP Pakistan has decreased by more than US $ 4 million. Malaria programs also attended funding cuts to various implementation agencies.
The decline comes amid growing concerns in the World Fund and Pakistani’s Health Community that previous grants were not used effectively or transparency.
Several health officials and donor representatives have expressed dissatisfaction with delays, lower efficiency and financial mismanagement allegedly plaguing multiple programs.
More worrying is the fact that the Federal Government’s Common Management Unit (CMU) – the National Coordination Agency that oversees HIV, TB and malaria – is currently without a permanent head. In addition, all three individual disease control programs are executed without full -time national program managers.
The Ministry of National Health Services has recently advertised these top positions, but experts warn that, unless appropriate, capable and honest professionals are appointed through a transparent process, Pakistan’s struggle against these deadly diseases will remain dangerous.
In the meantime, the burden of the disease continues to increase. According to official estimates, more than 1,200 new HIV cases are identified each month, with health experts fearing that actual broadcasts may exceed 3,000 per month due to degrading and weak surveillance systems.
Pakistan is currently among the leading countries in the Asia-Pacific region facing a rapidly growing HIV epidemic.
Tuberculosis is even more alarming, as the World Health Organization estimates that more than 610,000 new cases of tuberculosis appear in Pakistan per year, making it one of the top five high -level countries in the world.
Pakistan also remains a hotspot for TB -resistant. Malaria, long neglected due to its concentration in rural and flooding areas, is now growing again, with climate change and poor control of operators that contribute to located outbreaks.
The World Fund’s letter emphasizes that his decision to reduce Pakistan’s distribution comes from world donors, but also calls on Pakistani authorities to redefine and make better use of the rest of the grants along with domestic resources.
The country’s coordination mechanism (CCM), which oversees the implementation of the World Fund in Pakistan, has been called upon to redefine and complete the revised funding plans by July 14, 2025.
Growth has sent ripples through the Pakistani public health sector, with civil society organizations, program officials and international health partners urging immediate corrective action.
“We don’t just lose money – we risk life,” said a senior employee linked to the HIV program under the condition of anonymity. “Without sufficient leadership and proper accountability, we may lose further confidence in the donors in the future.”
The situation emphasizes the urgent need for the Ministry of National Health Services to restore credibility and operational capacity to these vital programs.
With reduced funding now confirmed, experts warn that Pakistan must act quickly to prevent the deaths of deaths that can be prevented and further deterioration in public health systems.
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