HIV infections among children in Sindh’s Hyderabad division have continued to rise at an alarming pace, with 186 paediatric cases detected between June 1, 2025 and June 20, 2026, bringing the total number of HIV-positive children registered in the division to 293 and raising fresh concerns about blood safety, infection control practices and delayed detection of the virus.
The latest figures indicate that more than 63 percent of all paediatric HIV cases registered in Hyderabad division were reported during the last one year alone, suggesting that transmission among children remains an unresolved public health challenge despite repeated interventions following previous HIV outbreaks in Sindh.
Data compiled for Hyderabad division show that 107 HIV-positive children were registered between July 2024 and May 30, 2025, while another 186 children were diagnosed between June 1, 2025 and June 20, 2026, taking the cumulative paediatric caseload to 293.
Public health experts say paediatric HIV infections are particularly alarming because children usually acquire the virus through preventable routes, including contaminated blood products, unsafe injections and transmission from infected mothers.
They maintain that every paediatric HIV infection represents a failure of blood screening, infection prevention and disease surveillance systems. The data further show that Hyderabad district alone accounted for 2,079 of the 2,734 HIV patients registered in the division, representing about 76 percent of the total burden.
Jamshoro reported 309 registered cases, followed by Matiari with 182, Tando Muhammad Khan with 70 and Tando Allahyar with 69 cases. An analysis of exposure patterns among the 2,734 registered HIV patients revealed that sexual transmission remained the leading mode of infection, accounting for 1,531 cases, or 56 percent of the total.
Blood transfusions were responsible for 872 cases, representing nearly one-third of all infections and highlighting persistent concerns about blood screening and transfusion safety. People who inject drugs accounted for 151 cases, while contaminated needles were linked to 93 infections. The mode of transmission was not disclosed in 31 cases. Mother-to-child transmission was documented in 13 cases, while surgical or dental procedures accounted for 10 infections and occupational exposure for eight cases.
Health specialists have long warned that weak oversight of blood transfusion services, the widespread use of unnecessary injections, inadequate infection control measures and poor antenatal HIV screening continue to expose both children and adults to preventable HIV infections.
They say these systemic gaps have repeatedly contributed to HIV outbreaks in different parts of Sindh and must be addressed to prevent similar incidents in the future. Pakistan is estimated to have between 370,000 and 400,000 people living with HIV, but only a fraction have been diagnosed and linked to treatment. Experts believe undetected infections and delayed diagnosis continue to fuel transmission, particularly among vulnerable populations.
They stressed that strengthening regulation of blood banks, enforcing mandatory screening of all blood products, expanding HIV testing among pregnant women and improving infection prevention practices in healthcare settings are essential to prevent further infections among children and avert future outbreaks.
Published in The News, July 3rd, 2026.
