KARACHI: Eight children in Karachi’s SITE area have tested positive for HIV, with health officials attributing the infections to unlicensed and unregulated medical practitioners operating in nearby settlements.
The children presented with symptoms including high fever, chest congestion, diarrhoea and constipation and were subsequently confirmed HIV-positive after laboratory testing.
No deaths have been reported and all affected children have been discharged following initial treatment. Authorities have launched further screening and written to the regulator for urgent action against illegal clinics.
According to Express Tribune hospital sources eight children at the Kulsoom Bai Valika Hospital were brought to the facility — which functions under the Sindh Employees Social Security Institute — with symptoms including high fever, chest congestion, diarrhoea, and constipation. After laboratory testing, all eight children were confirmed HIV positive.
Medical staff pointed to the neighbourhood of Pathan Colony in Karachi’s SITE area as the common residence of most affected children.
Officials identified the cause as untrained and unregistered medical practitioners (“quack” doctors) operating in nearby settlements, using unsafe procedures such as reused syringes and unsterile equipment.
The hospital administration has formally written to the Sindh Healthcare Commission (SHCC), requesting immediate action against these illegal medical facilities.
While some officials from the Communicable Disease Control Programme (CDC Programme) were said to downplay the extent of the incident, screening and surveillance have been launched in the area to identify further cases and prevent spread.
The hospital emphasised that no fatalities have been reported so far and all eight children have been discharged from initial treatment, but the risk of further transmission remains high given the presence of unregulated medical practice.
Medical Superintendent Dr Mumtaz Sheikh said that most of the affected children are residents of Pathan Colony, a locality close to the hospital.
Health authorities have confirmed that further investigations and area-wide HIV screening are underway to prevent the spread of infection.
Pakistan is facing an escalating HIV epidemic concentrated among high-risk groups but increasingly posing a broader public health threat. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), adult HIV prevalence in Pakistan is estimated at around 0.2 % with some 190,000 to 210,000 people living with HIV in 2020.
The number of new infections has surged, with a reported +84 % increase in new HIV cases since 2010.
Among people who inject drugs (PWID), the infection rate is notably high, around 21 % according to regional data.
Efforts to detect, treat and prevent HIV lag behind: many people remain undiagnosed, and access to antiretroviral therapy (ART) and safe medical practices is limited, creating conditions for outbreaks and sustained transmission.
Previous mass outbreaks — such as in the Ratodero/Larkana area of Sindh in 2019 — underscore how unsafe medical procedures and unlicensed clinics can trigger HIV clusters among children and adults.
