- Provinces ordered market investigation, enforcement.
- Unsafe injections linked to HIV spread.
- Violation report requested by April 27.
ISLAMABAD: Federal health officials have ordered nationwide enforcement of a ban on conventional disposable syringes and launched a review of safer alternatives amid growing concern over unsafe injections linked to HIV transmission, The news reported Thursday.
The decisions were taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Director General of Health Dr. Abdul Wali Khan at the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP), where the participation of DRAP Director Dr. Obaidullah, senior officials of the Ministry of Health, Deputy Director of WHO in Pakistan, representatives of Unicef, Executive Directors of PIMS Institute, Dr. Rana Imran Sikand National Institute of Polycran, Official, Dr. of Health (NIH) Islamabad, including its ED Dr Salman and Dr Mumtaz Ali Khan, IHRA and infectious disease experts.
Officials said the meeting reviewed the rising number of HIV infections in both children and the general population, with particular concern over unsafe injection practices, reuse of syringes and poor infection prevention and control measures.
Health experts say a large proportion of HIV infections are linked to the reuse of syringes and unsafe blood transfusions.
A key focus of the meeting was the widespread use of disposable syringes in clinical and informal health settings, which increased the risk of transmission of HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C.
In light of this, the Federal Ministry of Health decided to set up a subcommittee of experts to assess whether the continued use of conventional syringes should be restricted or replaced with auto-deactivate or auto-destruct syringes, which cannot be reused.
Alongside the review of the policy, Drap has ordered strict enforcement of an existing ban on conventional disposable syringes through a nationwide market study.
In a directive issued on April 22, Drap’s Department of Quality Assurance and Laboratory Testing directed the National Task Force for the Eradication of Counterfeit and Substandard Products to conduct a nationwide investigation to ensure compliance with the ban and identify any illegal products still being sold in the market.
The letter reiterated that Drap had imposed a complete ban on the import and manufacture of conventional disposable syringes effective July 31, 2021, and canceled all registrations of such products. However, there are still concerns that these syringes continue to circulate, especially in unregulated segments
. Provincial drug control authorities have been instructed to take strict regulatory action in case of non-compliance, while a comprehensive report on findings and enforcement measures has been requested by April 27.
Officials said the crackdown aims to remove unsafe syringes from circulation and address one of the main causes of blood-borne infections in the country.
Health experts have long warned that Pakistan remains among the highest users of therapeutic injections globally, with millions administered daily, many of them unnecessary and often delivered using unsafe practices.
Participants at the meeting emphasized the need for stronger infection prevention and control systems, better monitoring of health care providers, and increased public awareness to discourage unnecessary injections. Officials also highlighted the importance of ensuring the availability of safer alternatives, including auto-disabling syringes, particularly in public sector programs.
