A three-year-old girl has tested positive for the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) in Karachi, raising the total number of infected children to 107 in Orangi Town alone.
Follow Times of Karachi on Google News and add as a preferred Source on Google
According to the media reports, the infection was confirmed through three separate laboratory tests, including the Rapid Detect, Uni-Gold, and HIV Combo (Ag/Ab) tests.
The family claimed that the infection was confirmed after the girl had received treatment at the Kulsum Bai Valika Social Security SITE Hospital, commonly known as Valika Hospital.
Visit Times of Karachi website for the latest news-related content
They stated that her health began to deteriorate after receiving treatment at the hospital, prompting them to seek HIV testing, which later confirmed the infection.
The latest case comes as health authorities continue investigating an HIV outbreak involving children who received treatment at the government-run Valika Hospital in Karachi’s SITE Town.
Also Read:
DRAP Warns Against Use of
Five Substandard Syringe Batches
According to official figures, 107 children from Orangi Town have so far tested positive for HIV, while the death toll among infected children in Zia Colony has risen to nine.
Several affected families have alleged that hospital staff reused syringes on multiple children, leading to the spread of the virus.
In February, Federal Minister for National Health Services Syed Mustafa Kamal publicly stated that the outbreak was caused by the reuse of contaminated syringes at Valika Hospital.
Also Read:
Sindh starts crackdown on illegal blood banks
amid HIV surge among children
Addressing the National Assembly on June 10, the minister said the government had banned five types of syringes following an increase in HIV/AIDS cases across the country.
He also informed lawmakers that reports of rising HIV infections had emerged from Islamabad and Taunsa in Punjab.
Follow the Times of Karachi channel on WhatsApp
According to the minister, approximately 366,000 people in Pakistan are living with HIV/AIDS. He said the disease is treatable if diagnosed early and managed properly.
Mustafa Kamal added that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had constituted a special committee to help curb the spread of HIV, while the federal government was working with provincial authorities to strengthen prevention and control measures.
