In another shocking revelation, a total of 1,357 more people have been found to be HIV positive in Sindh during the first eight months of 2021.

This discovery was made after blood samples were screened at the blood banks in 24 districts of the province, claim officials of the Sindh Blood Transfusion Authority (SBTA).

“During the first eight months of this year, 455,742 donors at 166 blood banks were screened in the 24 districts of Sindh, of which 1,357 donors were found to be infected with HIV, which amounts to 0.29% of the samples,” Geo News quoted SBTA director, Dr Durre Naz Jamal, as saying. The remarks were made in a briefing to Sindh Minister of Health Dr Azra Pechuho. 

“Of the 455,742 blood samples tested in the province, around 24,088 were found reactive or infected with either of five different diseases,” Dr Durre Naz said. She further explained that 5.28% (24,088) of the donors were infected with one or more infectious diseases and were unfit for blood donations.

The director explained that blood samples in Pakistan are screened for five infectious diseases — HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, syphilis, and malaria — to prevent recipients from contracting these diseases through blood transfusion.

The SBTA data presented to the provincial health minister revealed that 8,155 or 1.79% of blood donors in Sindh were infected with hepatitis B while 7,995 or 1.75% were infected with hepatitis C.