Daijiworld Media Network - Islamabad

Islamabad, May 3: The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) has raised alarm over what it describes as an emerging “man-made epidemic” in Pakistan, warning that the continued circulation of unsafe syringes could worsen the country’s public health crisis.

According to a report published by Dawn, the medical body has accused regulatory authorities of failing to enforce existing bans on reusable syringes, despite nationwide restrictions imposed in 2021 to prevent infection transmission.

The PMA said syringes falsely labelled as “auto-disable” (AD) — but functioning as reusable equipment — represent a serious criminal deception that is endangering patients. It criticised the performance of the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) and provincial health departments, calling the situation a “catastrophic failure” of oversight.

The association has demanded a nationwide audit of all syringe manufacturing units, seizure of non-compliant stock, and a high-level inquiry into how substandard products entered the medical supply chain. It has also called for an urgent public awareness campaign to help citizens identify genuine auto-disable syringes.

In its statement, the PMA said the ban on conventional disposable syringes, introduced as part of infection control measures, has effectively become a “paper-only policy” due to weak enforcement.

The association warned that the consequences of unsafe injection practices are already visible, citing a rise in HIV infections across the country. It estimated that hundreds of thousands of people are currently living with HIV in Pakistan, with new infections continuing to emerge, including among children.

It also highlighted a worrying increase in HIV cases in recent years and linked rising infections, along with hepatitis C prevalence, to unsafe medical practices such as syringe reuse. The PMA warned that without immediate corrective action, the situation could escalate into a full-scale public health emergency.

The statement further noted that Pakistan faces one of the highest hepatitis C burdens globally and cautioned that cases could rise significantly in the coming years if the issue remains unaddressed.

Meanwhile, a delegation from the Global Fund is expected to visit Islamabad soon to review the situation. The organisation has reportedly invested over $1 billion in Pakistan over the past two decades to combat HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria.