ISLAMABAD: Health officials in Sindh have raised concerns over a disturbing trend wherein up to 15% of new HIV cases diagnosed each month are children, highlighting a critical health crisis in the province.
According to officials from the Sindh health department, an average of 260 new cases of HIV are reported monthly across the province, with a significant proportion affecting children under the age of 12. The cases are particularly concentrated in urban centers like Larkana, Hyderabad, Mirpur Khas, and Karachi.
“In the first five months of 2024 alone, Sindh has recorded 1,304 new cases of HIV. This translates to an average of 260 new cases per month,” disclosed a health department official.
The transmission of HIV among children in Sindh is attributed to several factors, including the reuse of syringes and IV drips by unqualified practitioners, poor infection prevention and control measures, tainted blood transfusions, and mother-to-child transmission.
A recent outbreak in Mirpur Khas district underscored the severity of the situation, with reports indicating that 20 children tested positive for HIV during screenings conducted at a nutrition stabilization center at Civil Hospital Mirpur Khas over the past six months.
Detailing the monthly incidence, the health department official revealed that the peak occurred in May 2024, with 293 new HIV cases reported. Similar high numbers were recorded in January and February (257 cases each), March (258 cases), and April (239 cases).
Regarding the cases in Mirpur Khas involving children, Dr. Zulfiqar Dharejo, Deputy Director General of Communicable Disease Control (CDC) at the Sindh Health Department, confirmed that 20 children were diagnosed with HIV between January and June 2024. Tragically, two of these children have already succumbed to the disease, while the remaining 18 are undergoing Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) treatment.
Dr. Dharejo emphasized that the cases in Mirpur Khas represent only a fraction of the overall HIV burden in Sindh. He noted that out of the approximately 260 new monthly cases, an estimated 50 to 60 involve children, underscoring the vulnerability of young populations to the disease.
