▁or ▁approximately ▁ 4 . 5 ▁per ▁cap ita . ▁This ▁is ▁among ▁the ▁highest ▁in ▁the ▁World . ▁A ▁small ▁but ▁significant ▁proportion ▁of ▁these ▁are ▁re used . ▁This ▁has ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁pre val ence ▁of ▁He pat itis ▁C ▁in fection ▁( which ▁is ▁nearly ▁exclus ively ▁transm itted ▁via ▁blood ▁expos ures ) ▁to ▁become ▁> 5 % ▁nation wide , ▁although ▁this ▁seems ▁to ▁have ▁stabil ized ▁at ▁a ▁national ▁level . ▁Conserv atively ▁this ▁suggests ▁around ▁ 1 5 0 , 0 0 0 ▁new ▁H CV ▁in fe ctions ▁ann ually , ▁leading ▁to ▁the ▁conclusion ▁that ▁H IV ▁can ▁also ▁potentially ▁spread ▁via ▁this ▁route ▁as ▁well . ▁Indeed , ▁recent ▁community ▁based ▁out break s ▁in ▁P un j ab ▁suggest ▁that ▁the ▁process ▁may ▁have ▁already ▁started . ▁ ▁National ▁response ▁to ▁H IV ▁ep ide mic ▁Pakistan ' s ▁response ▁to ▁H IV / A ID S ▁began ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 7 ▁with ▁the ▁establishment ▁of ▁a ▁Federal ▁Committee ▁on ▁A ID S ▁by ▁the ▁Ministry ▁of ▁Health . ▁The ▁national ▁A ID S ▁control ▁Program ▁was ▁then ▁established . ▁Its ▁object ives ▁are ▁the ▁prevent ion ▁of ▁H IV ▁transmission ▁among ▁specific ▁population ▁sub - groups , ▁safe ▁blood ▁trans f us ions , ▁reduced ▁ST I ▁transmission , ▁establishment ▁of ▁surve ill ance , ▁training ▁of ▁health ▁staff , ▁research ▁and ▁behavior al ▁studies , ▁and ▁development ▁of ▁program ▁management . ▁ ▁The ▁prevent ion ▁efforts ▁received