13 more children, four inmates test HIV positive, number reaches 559 in Larkana, other cities

SUKKUR: As many as 13 more children and four prison inmates tested HIV positive during the blood screening in Ratodero, Badin and Naushahro Feroze district jails, where nearly 380 prisoners were screened for HIV. With these new cases the number of those turning HIV positive has reached 559.

Among the children testing positive for HIV also included the five-year-old daughter of a local journalist Gul Bahar Sheikh. Sheikh demanded severe punishment for doctors and quacks involved in spreading the deadly virus due to their negligent practices. The DG Health Sindh, Dr Masood Solangi, said over 14,000 people were screened and out of them so far 534 people (270 females, 264 males) tested HIV positive. As much as 55 per cent (294) of the affected were children falling in the age group of 2 to 5 years, which formed the largest group. The second group with 100 cases (18.7 percent) fell in the group of 6 to 15 years.