Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday ordered nationwide screening of patients in public hospitals to ensure early detection, prevention, and treatment of life-threatening diseases such as hepatitis and AIDS.
While chairing a high-level meeting to review the performance of the Ministry of National Health Services, he also called for the creation of a coordinated system—developed in partnership with provincial authorities—for timely reporting of hepatitis, AIDS, and other illnesses.
The prime minister emphasised that safeguarding public health remains a top government priority, stating that every possible effort would be made to save lives.
اسلام آباد: 5 مئی 2026۔
وزیراعظم محمد شہباز شریف نے وزارت برائے امورِ قومی صحت کے حوالے سے جائزہ اجلاس کی صدارت کی.
اجلاس سے گفتگو کرتے ہوئے وزیرِ اعظم نے کہا کہ شہریوں کی صحت کے لیے بہترین خدمات فراہم کرنا حکومت کی اولین ترجیحات میں شامل ہے. کسی بھی ایک قیمتی جان کے تحفظ کے… pic.twitter.com/yBjfpvcIUG
— Prime Minister's Office (@PakPMO) May 5, 2026
He instructed the health ministry to speed up the rollout of the Prime Minister’s Hepatitis Control Programme, focusing on expanded screening, testing, and treatment in collaboration with provinces.
He further directed strict nationwide use of auto-disable syringes to curb the spread of infections, while urging the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan and other bodies to ensure that syringes are not reused.
The PM was briefed on ongoing initiatives for early detection, prevention, and treatment of polio, hepatitis, and AIDS.
Officials informed the meeting that 98 Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) centres are currently operational in major hospitals across the country to combat diseases like AIDS, with plans to expand the number to 164 within a year. Screening for AIDS has also begun at all international airports for undocumented individuals returning to Pakistan.
Additionally, a pilot phase of the Prime Minister’s National Hepatitis C Prevention Programme is expected to be launched soon in Islamabad, Azad Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan.
The meeting was told that recent environmental testing indicates a gradual decline in the presence of the polio virus, a positive sign, while coverage during the latest anti-polio campaign reached 98 per cent.
