Karachi Children Test Positive for HIV Amid Unsafe Medical Practices

A number of children in Karachi have tested positive for HIV, and health officials link the infections to unsafe medical practices. The cases are not the first outbreak of pediatric HIV in Pakistan, raising concerns about infection‑control standards in hospitals and clinics. Dr Vishal Jain, lead consultant in Paediatrics and Neonatology at CK Birla Hospital in Delhi, says the disease often shows no obvious signs in children, making early detection difficult. He explains that infants infected around birth can see rapid damage to their immune system compared with adults. The World Health Organization recommends early virological testing for HIV‑exposed infants, preferably within the first weeks of life, because standard antibody tests do not work for children under 18 months. Dr Jain lists common symptoms such as persistent fever, failure to thrive and frequent infections, but warns these signs also appear in other illnesses. He stresses that HIV can be passed during pregnancy, delivery, breastfeeding, or through contact with infected blood or poorly sterilised medical tools. Prevention, he says, requires a new sterile syringe for every injection, proper blood screening and strict sterilisation of equipment. Parents should feel empowered to ask health workers whether needles are new and sterile. Finally, Dr Jain clarifies that HIV cannot be spread by hugging, sharing meals or normal household contact, and urges care, treatment and love for affected children rather than stigma.