Karachi: Nine children infected with HIV have died in Karachi’s Pathan Colony (Valika) while dozens of others have progressed to AIDS, raising alarm over the growing burden of HIV among children in Sindh and renewing concerns over unsafe medical practices and failures in infection prevention.
The latest cluster has surfaced after similar outbreaks in Larkana and Khairpur, with residents claiming that 107 children have so far been diagnosed with HIV in the locality.
Health experts warned that without timely diagnosis, uninterrupted antiretroviral treatment and regular follow-up, more infected children could develop advanced disease, leading to further complications and deaths.
Parents of the affected children, who recently addressed a press conference, alleged that contaminated syringes and unsafe injection practices at a hospital were responsible for transmitting the virus to their children.
They demanded an independent investigation into the incident, registration of criminal cases against those found responsible and justice for the affected families.
According to the parents, around 200 children are believed to have been infected with HIV. Some of them were born at Kulsoom Bai Valika Hospital in Karachi’s SITE area, a healthcare facility run by the Sindh Employees’ Social Security Institution, while others had been admitted there for treatment of various illnesses.
Official data showed that 78 children linked to Valika Hospital had tested positive for HIV last year.
However, local residents claimed the number of infected children has now increased to 107.
Medical experts said HIV in children is most commonly transmitted from an infected mother during pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding, but can also spread through transfusion of contaminated blood and unsafe medical procedures, including the reuse of contaminated syringes. They said nearly 70 percent of paediatric HIV infections are due to mother-to-child transmission, while the remaining cases are associated with unsafe healthcare practices and other preventable causes.
According to the Sindh Health Department, 3,859 HIV cases were reported across the province during 2025, including 735 boys, 451 girls, 172 transgender persons, 909 women and 1,592 men.
During the first three months of the current year, another 894 HIV cases were reported in Sindh, including 188 boys, 141 girls, 29 transgender persons, 204 women and 332 men.
Public health experts warned that HIV is no longer confined to traditionally high-risk populations and is increasingly being detected in the general population. They noted that although Sindh has enacted legislation requiring the use of auto-disable syringes to prevent the reuse of injection equipment, weak enforcement has allowed conventional disposable syringes to remain widely available and in use.
They also identified unregistered clinics run by unqualified practitioners, unsafe injection practices, contaminated medical equipment and inadequate sterilisation of instruments used in barber shops and beauty salons as factors contributing to the continued spread of HIV.
Health experts stressed that treatment alone would not be enough to control the epidemic. They called for stronger prevention measures, strict enforcement of safe injection practices, action against illegal healthcare providers, safer blood transfusion services, routine HIV screening of pregnant women and sustained public awareness campaigns to prevent further transmission, particularly among children.