In a significant blow to Pakistan’s efforts to combat infectious diseases, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has reduced its financial support to the country for the current grant cycle. The decision, citing global funding pressures and the need to reprioritize allocations, was reported by The News. This cutback comes at a critical time, as Pakistan grapples with a sharp rise in HIV, tuberculosis (TB), and malaria cases, compounded by leadership gaps and administrative mismanagement within its national health programs.
Details of the Funding Cut
According to an official letter sent by the Global Fund to Pakistani authorities, the country’s total allocation under Grant Cycle 7 (GC7) has been slashed from US$250.8 million to US$223.6 million, representing a decline of over US$27 million. These funds were originally intended for key national and international partners involved in implementing prevention, diagnosis, and treatment services across Pakistan.
The hardest hit is the National TB Control Program, whose allocation has dropped from US$145.7 million to US$129.9 million. The HIV/AIDS component, managed by the National AIDS Control Program and UNDP Pakistan, has seen a reduction of more than US$4 million. Malaria programs also experienced funding cuts across various implementing bodies.
Concerns Over Mismanagement and Leadership Vacuum
The reduction in funding is set against a backdrop of growing concerns within the Global Fund and Pakistan’s health community regarding the inefficient and non-transparent utilization of previous grants. Several health officials and donor representatives have expressed dissatisfaction with reported delays, underperformance, and financial mismanagement that have plagued multiple programs.
Adding to these woes, the federal government’s Common Management Unit (CMU)—the national coordination body overseeing HIV, TB, and malaria programs—is currently operating without a permanent head. Furthermore, all three individual disease control programs lack full-time national program managers. While the Ministry of National Health Services has advertised these top-level posts, experts warn that unless qualified, competent, and honest professionals are appointed through a transparent process, Pakistan’s efforts to combat these deadly diseases will remain dangerously weak.
Escalating Disease Burden
Meanwhile, the disease burden continues to escalate. Official estimates indicate that more than 1,200 new HIV cases are detected each month, with health experts fearing that actual transmissions could exceed 3,000 per month due to underreporting and weak surveillance systems. Pakistan is currently among the top countries in the Asia-Pacific region experiencing a fast-growing HIV epidemic.
The TB situation is even more alarming, as the World Health Organization estimates that more than 610,000 new TB cases occur in Pakistan annually, placing it among the top five high-burden countries globally. Pakistan also remains a hotspot for drug-resistant TB. Malaria, which was long neglected due to its concentration in rural and flood-prone areas, is now surging again, with climate change and poor vector control contributing to localized outbreaks.
Urgent Call for Action
The Global Fund’s letter emphasizes that while its decision stems from global donor constraints, it also urges Pakistani authorities to reprioritize and make optimal use of the remaining grant money along with domestic resources. The Country Coordinating Mechanism (CCM), responsible for overseeing Global Fund implementation in Pakistan, has been asked to reconvene and finalize revised funding plans by July 14, 2025. Failure to comply will result in the automatic implementation of the revised reduced grant structure.
This development has caused ripples across Pakistan’s public health sector, with civil society organizations, program officials, and international health partners urging immediate corrective action. “We are not only losing money — we are risking lives,” said one senior official associated with an HIV program, speaking anonymously. “Without capable leadership and proper accountability, we may lose further donor confidence in the future.”
The situation underscores the urgent need for the Ministry of National Health Services to restore credibility and operational capacity in these vital programs. With reduced funding now confirmed, experts warn that Pakistan must act swiftly to prevent a surge in preventable deaths and a further deterioration in its public health systems.
