KARACHI: In Karachi’s Site area, more than 100 children from the same neighborhood have been diagnosed with HIV over the past nine months, prompting serious concerns about the state of the healthcare system.
The affected children are undergoing treatment at Valika Hospital, and residents report that at least nine children have died from HIV-related complications within the last year.
Former WHO director Dr. Zafar Mirza highlighted that this outbreak points to broader issues in public health, governance, and healthcare regulation.
He recalled the 2019 HIV outbreak in Rato Dero, Sindh, which led to the formation of a national task force focused on injection safety. Despite regulations mandating the use of single-use syringes, illegal reuse of disposable syringes remains a problem in some areas, increasing the risk of HIV and other infections.
Dr. Mirza stressed the importance of comprehensive blood screening for diseases such as HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, syphilis, and malaria prior to transfusions. He criticized the current blood screening system in Pakistan as ineffective, often resulting in contaminated blood being transfused, especially to vulnerable children.
He also condemned the focus of some officials on managing media narratives rather than addressing the root causes of the outbreak. Emphasizing accountability, he called on authorities to identify and eliminate the source of infections, hold responsible parties accountable, and overhaul the healthcare system to prevent future tragedies instead of concealing critical data.
