PM orders regulatory overhaul, ban on substandard syringes to stem HIV, hepatitis C spread

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday ordered a broad regulatory crackdown to curb the spread of HIV and Hepatitis C, directing authorities to ban the manufacturing and use of substandard syringes while introducing stronger legal and policy measures to address the public health threat.

Presiding over a meeting in Islamabad on efforts to prevent the spread of HIV and Hepatitis C, the prime minister said the country needed a comprehensive national strategy backed by effective implementation to contain communicable diseases.

As part of the response, Shehbaz instructed the Ministry of Law to work with relevant departments on amendments to the existing legal and regulatory framework to strengthen enforcement and improve disease prevention.

He also ordered the creation of a committee of health experts to recommend measures for controlling communicable diseases, stressing that provincial governments must be consulted before the recommendations are finalised.

The prime minister further directed the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) to hold consultations with the medical device manufacturing industry and develop policy proposals aimed at permanently preventing the transmission of infectious diseases through syringes.

Separately, Shehbaz ordered immediate legal action against individuals and hospitals found using unauthorised syringes or guilty of criminal negligence in preventing their use, underscoring the government's intention to tighten enforcement against unsafe medical practices.