Karachi: Another child tested positive for HIV on Tuesday at Kulsum Bai Valika Social Security Hospital Karachi as the death toll among HIV-infected children from Karachi’s Pathan Colony (Valika) has reached nine, intensifying concerns over a growing paediatric HIV cluster that residents believe has affected more than 100 children.
The latest child, whose HIV test report was seen by the ‘vitalsnews’, had a history of hospitalization at the Valika hospital, according to family members. The child tested positive on three different HIV screening kits at the ART Centre. Health authorities have yet to determine how the infection was acquired.
The latest diagnosis comes amid mounting concern over the outbreak, which follows similar paediatric HIV clusters reported in Larkana and Khairpur. Residents claim that 107 children have so far tested positive for HIV in Pathan Colony, while nearly 200 children are suspected to have been infected.
Health experts warned that without early diagnosis, uninterrupted antiretroviral therapy and regular follow-up, more infected children could progress to AIDS, resulting in life-threatening complications and additional deaths.
Parents of the affected children, who recently addressed a press conference, alleged that contaminated syringes and other unsafe medical practices at a hospital were responsible for transmitting the virus to their children.
They demanded an independent judicial inquiry, registration of criminal cases against those responsible and compensation and justice for the affected families.
According to the parents, several of the affected children were born at Kulsum Bai Valika Hospital in Karachi’s SITE area, while others had been admitted there for treatment of various illnesses before later being diagnosed with HIV.
Official data showed that 78 children linked to Valika Hospital had tested positive for HIV last year. Residents now claim the number has increased to 107 following the detection of additional cases, including the child diagnosed on Tuesday.
Medical experts said HIV in children is most commonly transmitted from an infected mother during pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding, but it can also spread through transfusion of contaminated blood and unsafe medical procedures, including the reuse of contaminated syringes. They noted that while most paediatric HIV infections occur through mother-to-child transmission, a significant proportion are linked to preventable healthcare-associated infections.
According to the Sindh Health Department, 3,859 HIV cases were reported across the province during 2025, including 1,186 children. During the first three months of this year, another 894 HIV cases were reported, including 329 children.
Public health experts warned that HIV is no longer confined to traditionally high-risk populations and is increasingly being detected among the general population. They said Sindh has enacted legislation mandating the use of auto-disable syringes, but weak implementation continues to allow the widespread use and reuse of conventional disposable syringes.
Experts also cited unregistered clinics operated by unqualified practitioners, unsafe injection practices, contaminated medical equipment, unsafe blood transfusions and poor sterilisation of instruments as major contributors to the continuing spread of HIV.
They stressed that treatment alone would not contain the epidemic and called for strict enforcement of safe injection practices, action against illegal healthcare providers, safer blood transfusion services, routine HIV screening of pregnant women, active surveillance and sustained public awareness campaigns to prevent further infections, particularly among children.