M. Irshadullah
PESHAWAR: The National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR), an independent statutory body established under the NCHR Act, 2012, is mandated to monitor the human rights situation in Pakistan, investigate violations, and recommend policy reforms to uphold constitutional and international obligations.
Upholding its commitment to the protection of marginalized communities, NCHR has formally disseminated a pioneering research study titled “Understanding the Impact of HIV Stigma on Transgender Persons Living with HIV in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa”, conducted in collaboration with civil society organization Blue Veins.
The report, based on in-depth qualitative interviews with transgender persons living with HIV (TPLHIV) across KP, uncovers systemic and institutional discrimination in healthcare settings, denial of treatment, economic exclusion, and the lack of gender-affirming care. It emphasizes the urgent need for healthcare reforms that are inclusive, non-discriminatory, and responsive to the unique needs of the transgender community.
In response to these findings, the NCHR has written to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Department, urging immediate actions including the integration of transgender-inclusive healthcare training for medical professionals, the adoption and dissemination of gender-sensitive resource guidelines for healthcare service providers, and the expansion of public health schemes such as the Sehat Insaf Card to include transgender persons.
The Commission has also recommended the establishment of grievance redressal mechanisms within hospitals to address cases of discrimination against TPLHIV and ensure accountability.
“The findings of this research are deeply troubling and make it evident that transgender persons living with HIV face layered vulnerabilities — not just due to the disease, but due to institutional neglect,” said Mr. Rizwanullah Shah, Provincial Coordinator, NCHR Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
“As a constitutional body tasked with protecting human rights, we call on the provincial government to integrate transgender-inclusive healthcare training, strengthen monitoring of discrimination in hospitals, and ensure that HIV prevention and treatment services are free from bias.”
Adding to the growing chorus for rights-based healthcare reform, Qamar Naseem, a leading human rights defender and policy expert, emphasized,
“We already have robust legal and policy frameworks in place, including the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2018, and relevant health sector strategies. What’s missing is effective implementation. The government must ensure improved compliance, institutional ownership, and monitoring of how these protections are actually reaching transgender persons on the ground.”
Farzana Jan, President of the TransAction Alliance, expressed the lived reality of the community, stating,
“It is unacceptable that transgender persons continue to suffer in silence while seeking life-saving healthcare. We demand not just inclusion on paper but sensitive, informed, and compassionate services in every health facility in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. This research validates our voices and must now guide meaningful reform.”
The National Commission for Human Rights stands ready to facilitate interdepartmental coordination, policy advocacy, and inclusive programming to ensure that the health rights of transgender persons are not just protected in theory but practiced in reality. In doing so, NCHR calls for a rights-based, inclusive approach to HIV response that leaves no one behind.
