Dr Palitha Gunarathna Mahipala, WHO Representative in Pakistan, and Mr Kwak Sung-kyu, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea Islamabad, 22 July 2019 – The World Health Organization welcomes a new contribution from the Government of the Republic of Korea to support its ongoing response to an outbreak of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in Pakistan.
“This valuable support from the Government of the Republic of Korea will enable WHO to scale up its life-saving activities for the HIV-affected populations. We are especially grateful, as Korea is the first country to support WHO’s work in responding to this current HIV outbreak in Pakistan,” said Dr Palitha, WHO Representative in Pakistan.
As of 13 July, 935 people have tested positive with the HIV virus, including 760 children aged under 15 (82%). The outbreak is mainly concentrated in Larkana district, Sindh province.
Despite South Korea’s commitment, there remains a significant funding gap. WHO requires a total of US$ 4.5 million over the next 2 years to prevent the spread of transmission of HIV infection in Pakistan, and effectively treat HIV-infected populations, especially children.