HIV in children

It’s deja vu all over again. A disturbing new report has highlighted the glaring lack of governance plaguing healthcare in Sindh, particularly in the district of Mirpurkhas, where pediatric HIV cases are skyrocketing. The numbers are staggering: 150 children tested positive in 2024 alone, accounting for more than 26 per cent of the province’s total pediatric HIV cases last year. This surge raises urgent questions about the state of public health in Sindh, echoing a similar crisis in Larkana in recent years. With an average of 48 new cases each month across the province, the situation is nothing short of alarming. The healthcare sector should be a top priority for any responsible government and yet, time and time again, reports of neglect continue to emerge. In a country where poverty and limited access to healthcare already make survival a daily challenge, children are now facing an even more dire threat – pediatric HIV, a disease that requires expensive treatment that most parents simply cannot afford.

According to official statistics,Sindh has reported 3,446 new HIV cases in 2024, with 568 of those being children. Sindh is now the second-most HIV-affected province in Pakistan, after Punjab, with Karachi emerging as the hardest-hit urban area. More concerning, however, is the high rate of pediatric HIV cases, which can be traced back to poor infection control practices, including the reuse of syringes and IV drips. The lack of stringent hygiene measures in public hospitals and small, privately run clinics is a breeding ground for this life-threatening disease. Parents and families often remain unaware of these risks, failing to question the quality of medical tools being used on their children. What makes this ever more complicated is that the Sindh government’s track record in healthcare has not been all bad so it does know for sure how to get the job done well. Unfortunately, in this case the numbers don’t lie: thousands of new cases, escalating mortality rates, and widespread concerns about the quality of medical care across the province demand immediate action. The government must face this reality head-on, without excuses. Pediatric HIV is a life-threatening condition. Our children deserve a chance at a healthy future, and the government’s inaction in holding medical centres and healthcare professionals accountable for their role in this neglect is not only a breach of trust but an outright betrayal of the people it is meant to serve.

This neglect extends beyond just HIV. Due to such issues, a broader healthcare crisis emerges, fostering scepticism and mistrust in public health initiatives. For example, vaccine hesitancy, as seen in the growing anti-vaccine sentiment, is a direct result of years of poor governance and a lack of accountability in the healthcare sector. What needs to be done now is for the Sindh government to take immediate, decisive action to address the health crisis it has allowed to fester for far too long. Proper medical care, hygiene and infection control must be prioritised, and those responsible for medical negligence must be held accountable. The government must invest in training more healthcare workers and ensure that proper medical equipment and supplies are available, especially in rural areas. This is a problem that requires urgent attention – not just in reports or speeches, but in tangible, immediate action. Sindh’s children are not just statistics; they deserve more than broken promises.