Confronting the HIV challenge in Pakistan: Urgent need for health services in most-at-risk communities.

Abstract

This policy briefing makes the following main points: although the HIV epidemic in Pakistan is in its early stages, the country has multiple risk factors for an escalating HIV epidemic; these include high levels of other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among people who inject drugs and those who sell sex; these groups have limited or no access to STI prevention and treatment; and a more cohesive approach to STI control is urgently needed (before the epidemic worsens), with more STI services specifically for sex workers and expanded needle and syringe exchange programmes for injecting drug users.

Citation

Programme for Research and Capacity Building in Sexual and Reproductive Health and HIV in Developing Countries Policy Briefing no. 1, April 2009.

Confronting the HIV challenge in Pakistan: Urgent need for health services in most-at-risk communities.

Published 1 January 2009