KARACHI, July 7, 2026: More than 100 children from the same locality have tested positive for HIV at Karachi’s SITE Valika Hospital over the past nine months, raising serious concerns about infection control and health monitoring systems.

Local residents have claimed that nine children from the area have died during the past year, though official confirmation of the deaths was not immediately available.

Speaking on ARY News programme On My Radar, former World Health Organization director Dr Zafar Mirza said the Karachi HIV outbreak among children was not only a medical issue but also reflected weaknesses in governance, health administration and surveillance.

He said Pakistan had imposed strict restrictions on reused syringes after the 2019 HIV outbreak in Ratodero, Sindh. Under the law, only single-use syringes can be sold, but he warned that illegal reuse of syringes in some places continues to create risks of HIV and other serious infections.

Dr Mirza also said blood must be screened for HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, syphilis and malaria before transfusion. He added that weaknesses in Pakistan’s blood screening system can lead to contaminated blood being transferred to patients, including children.

He urged authorities to focus on identifying the causes of the outbreak, taking action against those responsible and strengthening the health system instead of hiding data or questioning how the information reached the media.

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