Over 100 children diagnosed with HIV in Karachi: What is the reason?

More than 100 children from the same neighborhood in Karachi have tested positive for HIV over the past nine months, raising concerns about the government’s healthcare system.

The children are receiving treatment at the Valika Hospital in the Site area of Karachi. Residents say at least nine children affected with HIV have died over the past year.

Read Also: Reuse of syringes root cause of Valika Hospital HIV cases: report

Speaking during the ARY News program ‘On My Radar’, former director of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr Zafar Mirza, has said the incident reflected not only a public health issue but also serious shortcomings in governance, healthcare management and regulatory oversight.

He recalled that after the major HIV outbreak in Rato Dero, Sindh, in 2019, a national task force was established for injection safety, after which stricter regulations were introduced allowing only single-use syringes to be sold in Pakistan.

He claimed that in some areas, disposable syringes are being reused illegally, increasing the risk of transmitting HIV and other blood-borne diseases.

Dr. Zafar Mirza emphasized that blood should be screened for five infectious diseases, including HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, syphilis, and malaria, before blood transfusion.

According to him, the blood screening system in Pakistan is also ineffective, due to which often contaminated blood is transfused to patients, particularly children.

He criticized what he described as a greater focus among some officials on how information reached the media rather than addressing the underlying causes of the outbreak.

He urged the authorities to prioritize identifying the source of the infections, hold those responsible accountable, and strengthen the country’s healthcare system instead of concealing data.