Pakistan Medical Association warns of ‘man-made epidemic’ over syringe reuse

• Calls for nationwide audit, seizure of non-compliant, falsely labelled stocks
• Blames Drap, provincial authorities for ‘catastrophic failure’

KARACHI: Warning of a looming “man-made epidemic”, the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) on Thursday expressed serious concern over the widespread manufacture and use of reusable syringes despite a countrywide ban and demanded an audit of all syringe-manufacturing units and the seizure of all non-compliant stocks.

The association also called for a high-level inquiry into how “falsely labelled” syringes passed regulatory checks and entered the supply chain, while urging stringent legal action against clinics and practitioners found using or possessing banned conventional syringes.

“In addition, the government must initiate an emergency awareness campaign to educate the public on identifying genuine auto-disable syringes,” the PMA said in a statement. It directly held the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (Drap) and provincial health authorities responsible for a “catastrophic failure”.

“It is not merely a bureaucratic lapse; it is a direct assault on the lives of millions of Pakistanis. The PMA stands with the victims of this negligence and warns the government that unless immediate corrective measures are taken, the current rise in HIV cases will evolve into an uncontrollable national emergency,” it added.

The association regretted that the ban on conventional disposable syringes imposed in 2021, which was once hailed as a landmark step for infection control, had now been exposed as a “paper-only” policy.

“The discovery of syringes falsely labelled as ‘auto-disable’ (AD) that function as reusable instruments is a criminal deception. It is beyond unfortunate that the very regulatory bodies entrusted with the safety of medical instruments have failed so fundamentally,” the statement said. “We are witnessing the emergence of a new, man-made epidemic. Pakistan’s health indicators are already under strain; we cannot afford a surge in HIV and Hepatitis B/C triggered by substandard, contaminated equipment.”

The PMA said an estimated 350,000 to 369,000 people are living with HIV in Pakistan.

“In the first quarter of 2026 alone, 894 new cases were recorded in Sindh, including 329 children. New HIV infections among children (0 to 14 years) have risen from 530 cases in 2010 to over 1,800 annually,” it said. “In 2023, more than 1,100 children died due to AIDS-related complications, a direct consequence of reused syringes and unsafe medical practices.” The PMA noted that Pakistan bears the second-highest burden of Hepatitis C globally.

“Without immediate intervention, this number could rise to 12.6 million by 2030,” it warned.

It accused Drap of failing to monitor manufacturing hubs, particularly in the Gadoon Amazai industrial zone. “Provincial health care commissions have failed to curb quackery,” it said.

The association emphasised that controlling infectious diseases is the primary responsibility of the federal and provincial governments.

Published in Dawn, May 2nd, 2026