Sindh’s Mirpurkhas district is rapidly becoming a new epicenter of paediatric HIV cases, drawing comparisons to Larkana, which faced a major outbreak in 2019. Official data released on Tuesday revealed that 150 children in Mirpurkhas tested positive for HIV in 2024 alone.
The district now accounts for over 26% of Sindh’s 568 paediatric HIV cases reported last year, highlighting a growing health crisis. On average, 48 children were diagnosed with HIV each month across the province in 2024.
According to Sindh’s health authorities, 568 children tested positive for HIV last year, including 78 boys and 72 girls from Mirpurkhas. Other districts with high numbers of paediatric HIV cases include:
Larkana: 52 boys, 35 girls
Shikarpur: 27 boys, 19 girls
Hyderabad: 36 boys, 25 girls
Jacobabad: 23 boys, 15 girls
Sindh, Pakistan’s second-most HIV-affected province, reported a total of 3,446 new cases in 2024, including:
1,811 men
813 women
254 transgender persons
568 children
On average, 287 new HIV cases were recorded each month in Sindh. Karachi remains the most affected urban center, with 969 new HIV cases last year. The highest number of cases were reported in:
Karachi South (184)
Malir (164)
Central (157)
East (151)
Korangi (134)
West (112)
Keamari (67)
Infectious disease experts attribute the rising HIV cases among children to poor Infection Prevention and Control (IPC). The reuse of syringes and IV drips by unlicensed practitioners and even some registered doctors in rural Sindh is cited as a major cause of transmission.
Dr. Faisal Mehmood, head of infectious diseases at Aga Khan University Hospital, highlighted alarming findings:
“When we test parents of these children, most of the time they test negative. Even their siblings often test negative. This strongly indicates that unsafe medical practices, particularly the reuse of syringes, are the primary source of HIV transmission in children.”
The situation in Mirpurkhas is drawing comparisons to Larkana’s 2019 outbreak, where over 900 children were infected due to unsafe medical practices. Experts warn that without urgent intervention, Mirpurkhas could face a similar outbreak.
Sindh continues to struggle with:
Unsafe injections and IV drips
Unregulated blood transfusions
Poor infection control measures in rural areas
Public health officials emphasize the need for a multi-pronged strategy to curb HIV transmission, especially in high-risk districts like Mirpurkhas. Key recommendations include:
Expanding screening services to detect cases early
Strict regulations against unlicensed medical practitioners
Enforcing infection control protocols in healthcare facilities
Without immediate preventive measures, Mirpurkhas risks becoming Sindh’s next major HIV outbreak zone.