As Pakistan’s monsoon arrives, people with HIV worry

As Pakistan grapples with its annual monsoon season, a critical concern emerges for individuals living with HIV: safeguarding their essential antiretroviral treatment. The heavy rains in August 2025 triggered widespread flooding, particularly in regions like Buner in the north-west and Punjab province. For many, like Khalid, a daily wager who contracted HIV five years ago while working abroad, the immediate priority during the deluge was rescuing their life-saving medication. He and his wife waded through neck-deep, muddy water inside their home to secure their antiretroviral pills, disregarding other possessions. "The waist-deep mud left behind by floodwaters had cut off our village for more than eight days," Khalid recounted. "Thankfully, my wife and I still had our HIV medication with us," he added. The monsoon's fury resulted in devastating riverine floods, claiming over a thousand lives, with 808 casualties reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab alone. The disaster not only threatened lives but also highlighted the vulnerability of essential healthcare access for marginalized populations during extreme weather events.

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The waist-deep mud left behind by floodwaters had cut off our village for more than eight days. Thankfully, my wife and I still had our HIV medication with us.