Nearly 40,000 people in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa are currently living with HIV/AIDS, while 15 to 20 new cases are being reported daily, provincial health officials revealed on World AIDS Day.

Speaking at a press conference at the Peshawar Press Club on Monday, Dr. Tariq Hayat Taj, Director of the Provincial AIDS Control Program, said that around 9,800 HIV patients are officially registered in the province. However, the actual number is far higher as many people avoid testing due to social stigma and society's discriminatory behaviour.

“Due to the harsh attitudes in society, many patients are afraid to undergo a test,” Dr. Tariq said, stressing that this reluctance is fuelling the spread of the virus silently. Dr. Tariq warned that quack doctors, illegal street clinics, and the repeate use of s

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