IN a quiet corner of a clinic in Punjab, a mother sits with her young son, holding his hand as she struggles to make sense of a diagnosis that has turned her world upside down. There is no family history, no clear explanation and no easy way to absorb the shock. Yet stories like hers are no longer isolated. They are becoming part of a troubling pattern that reflects the growing HIV/AIDS crisis in Punjab. As we move through 2026, it is increasingly clear that this is no longer a distant public health concern. It is an emergency unfolding in real time, with devastating consequences for families across the province. The scale of the crisis is deeply alarming. Tens of thousands of people in Punjab are living with HIV and many are still not receiving treatment. Even more concerning is the large number of undiagnosed cases that continue to drive silent transmission. If this trajectory continues unchecked, the province risks facing not only a heavier disease burden but also deeper social and economic consequences in the years ahead. Most heartbreaking of all is the growing number of children affected by the disease.

Recent reporting, including a BBC investigation highlighted by *Dawn*, has made the danger impossible to ignore. In Taunsa, an outbreak involving hundreds of children raised serious concerns about infection control........

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