Islamabad: The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC), acting on the directives of the country’s top authorities, has asked the Sindh Healthcare Commission (SHCC) to provide details of medical practitioners allegedly linked to incidents highlighted in a news report on the rising number of HIV infections in Hyderabad division, warning that regulatory action would be initiated after receiving the required information.
In an official letter addressed to the Chief Executive Officer of the Sindh Healthcare Commission, the PMDC referred to a news report on the increasing HIV infections among adults and children in Hyderabad division and expressed “grave alarm” over the situation, particularly the sharp rise in paediatric cases.
The Council said the reported emergence of Hyderabad as the latest HIV hotspot, where 186 children tested HIV-positive within a single year, pointed towards possible lapses in infection prevention and control, unsafe medical practices and potentially unregulated healthcare facilities that could be endangering public health.
“The safety of patients, particularly children, is an absolute priority that cannot be compromised,” the PMDC stated in the letter.
The Council requested the Sindh Healthcare Commission to provide, within four days, particulars of the practitioners involved in the incidents referred to in the enclosed news report, along with any documentary material relevant to the allegations.
It informed the Commission that, upon receipt of the requisite information, necessary regulatory action would be initiated in accordance with the PMDC’s legal mandate. The letter added that the Council remained committed to ensuring professional accountability and protection of the public interest and requested that the matter be treated on a priority basis.
The PMDC communication follows growing concern over the continued increase in HIV infections among children in Hyderabad division, where official data show that 186 paediatric HIV cases were detected between June 1, 2025 and June 20, 2026, bringing the cumulative number of HIV-positive children registered in the division to 293.
The latest figures indicate that more than 63 percent of all paediatric HIV cases recorded in Hyderabad division have been detected during the last one year alone, suggesting that transmission among children remains an unresolved public health challenge despite repeated interventions following previous HIV outbreaks in Sindh.
Official data show that 107 HIV-positive children had been registered between July 2024 and May 30, 2025, while another 186 children were diagnosed during the following 12 months, taking the cumulative paediatric caseload to 293.
Public health experts maintain that HIV infection in children is particularly alarming because it is usually acquired through preventable routes, including contaminated blood products, unsafe injections and mother-to-child transmission. They say every paediatric HIV infection reflects failures in blood screening, infection prevention and disease surveillance systems.
Hyderabad district accounts for the overwhelming majority of HIV cases in the division. Of the 2,734 registered HIV patients, 2,079 belong to Hyderabad district, representing around 76 percent of the total burden. Jamshoro has reported 309 registered cases, followed by Matiari with 182, Tando Muhammad Khan with 70 and Tando Allahyar with 69 cases.
Analysis of the registered cases shows that sexual transmission remains the leading mode of HIV infection, accounting for 1,531 cases, or 56 percent of the total. Blood transfusions were responsible for 872 infections, nearly one-third of all registered cases, highlighting continuing concerns over blood screening and transfusion safety.
People who inject drugs accounted for 151 infections, while contaminated needles were linked to 93 cases. The mode of transmission was not disclosed in 31 cases. Mother-to-child transmission accounted for 13 infections, while surgical or dental procedures were associated with 10 cases and occupational exposure with eight.
Health specialists have repeatedly warned that weak regulation of blood transfusion services, unnecessary use of injections, inadequate infection control practices and poor antenatal HIV screening continue to expose both children and adults to preventable HIV infections. They say these systemic weaknesses have contributed to repeated HIV outbreaks in different parts of Sindh and require urgent corrective measures.
Pakistan is estimated to have between 370,000 and 400,000 people living with HIV, although only a fraction have been diagnosed and linked to treatment. Public health experts stress that strengthening regulation of blood banks, ensuring mandatory screening of all donated blood, expanding HIV testing among pregnant women and improving infection prevention practices in healthcare settings are essential to prevent further infections among children and avoid future outbreaks.
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