ISLAMABAD – A grim picture of Pakistan’s public health emergency emerged in the National Assembly, where Ministry of National Health Services revealed that millions of citizens are struggling with mental illnesses, hepatitis and HIV, while acute shortage of medical specialists threatens to deepen the crisis.
The official figures paint a troubling picture of a country where around 32.4 million people are affected by mental health disorders, nearly 12.9 million are living with hepatitis B or C, and more than 417,000 are estimated to have HIV. Even more alarming is the growing number of children affected by HIV, with 3,900 young patients registered in just 18 months between January 2025 and June 2026.
The revelations came in detailed report submitted by the health ministry to the National Assembly, exposing serious gaps in disease prevention, diagnosis and treatment across Pakistan’s population of around 250 million.
1,050 Psychiatrists for 32 Million Patients
One of key striking findings concerns Pakistan’s worsening mental health burden. The estimated number of people suffering from mental health disorders climbed from 30 million in 2019 to 32.4 million in 2023, an increase of 2.4 million within five years.
Islamabad alone has 300,000 people affected by mental health conditions. But the real concern lies in the country’s limited capacity to provide treatment. Despite millions requiring mental healthcare, Pakistan has only 1,050 registered psychiatrists nationwide.
This means one psychiatrist for every 245,000 citizens, highlighting a massive gap between the country’s mental healthcare needs and its available specialist workforce. The provincial distribution of psychiatrists also reveals significant disparities.
Punjab has 406 registered psychiatrists, while Sindh has 228. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa accounts for 122 specialists, whereas Balochistan has just 44. These four provincial figures account for 800 psychiatrists, with the ministry reporting 1,050 registered nationally.
Hepatitis Crisis
While mental health disorders affect millions, another silent health emergency continues to unfold across the country. Pakistan has the world’s largest hepatitis C patient population, according to the ministry’s report, which also places the country among the ten nations with the highest hepatitis C-related mortality burden.
Officials said around 9 million Pakistanis are infected with hepatitis C. Another 3.86 million people are living with hepatitis B, bringing the combined estimated burden to approximately 12.9 million.
Around 48,000 Pakistanis lose their lives to hepatitis-related complications every year, according to the figures presented to lawmakers. The report further revealed that more than 88,000 new hepatitis C infections occurred in 2024 alone.
HIV Infections Triple
National Assembly was also informed of a troubling rise in HIV infections, with the estimated annual number of new cases tripling over 14 years. According to the ministry, Pakistan recorded approximately 16,000 new HIV infections in 2010. By 2024, the annual figure had climbed to 48,000.
The report, citing WHO estimates, puts the number of people living with HIV nationwide at more than 417,000. However, only 92,148 individuals are officially registered with HIV treatment services. Of these, 67,878 are receiving antiretroviral therapy, the treatment used to control the virus and enable people living with HIV to lead healthier lives.
The major difference between estimated number of infections and officially registered patients raises serious concerns about undiagnosed infections, gaps in treatment enrollment and access to healthcare. On a positive note, the ministry reported a significant expansion in HIV screening.
Perhaps the most distressing disclosure concerns the growing burden of HIV among children.
The health ministry informed the National Assembly that 3,900 children living with HIV were registered between January 2025 and June 2026.
