The Mirpurkhas district of Sindh is swiftly becoming another “Larkana” in terms of the rising number of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) cases among children. Official data released on Tuesday revealed that in 2024 alone, 150 children tested positive for HIV.
This alarming number accounts for over 26% of the 568 pediatric HIV cases reported in Sindh last year, averaging 48 new cases among children each month in the province.
According to the latest figures from Sindh’s health authorities, 568 children were diagnosed with HIV across the province in 2024. Mirpurkhas alone reported 150 cases, including 78 boys and 72 girls.
Other districts with high pediatric HIV cases included Larkana (52 boys and 35 girls), Shikarpur (27 boys and 19 girls), Hyderabad (36 boys and 25 girls), and Jacobabad (23 boys and 15 girls).
Sindh, which remains the second most HIV-affected province in Pakistan, reported a total of 3,446 new HIV cases in 2024. These included 1,811 men, 813 women, 254 transgender persons, and 568 children, averaging 287 new cases monthly.
Infectious disease experts attribute the rising incidence of HIV among children to poor Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) practices, such as the reuse of syringes and IV drips by both quacks and some registered medical practitioners in rural Sindh.
Experts warn that without immediate preventive measures, Mirpurkhas could soon face an outbreak similar to Larkana, where over 900 children were diagnosed with HIV in a short period.
