IN a shocking development, 18 new HIV-positive cases were detected by the Sindh AIDS Control Programme during examinations in Larkana district.

The list of new cases included children as young as 16 months. It is suspected that medical quackery is behind the sudden outbreak, and this would not be the first time.

Larkana is also said to be one of the districts in Sindh with the highest number of HIV/AIDS patients.

In total, Sindh had an estimated 60,000 HIV-positive patients by August 2018, according to a report submitted by the Ministry of National Health Services to a three-member bench of the Supreme Court. That was the same month that Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah prematurely declared that the Sindh government had successfully controlled the spread of HIV/AIDS through the use of effective awareness drives.

However, by November 2018, a total of 889 new HIV-positive cases had been reported in the province in a mere six-month time frame.

Similarly, the number of HIV-infected patients had risen to over 5,000 by the end of last year in Balochistan. According to the NHS report, there are an estimated 150,000 HIV-positive patients in Pakistan: 75,000 in Punjab; 15,000 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. In Sargodha alone, which has been in the news for several outbreaks of HIV/AIDS, 869 people were diagnosed with the condition in the past 10 years.

Explore: A village in Punjab suffers as the government dithers

Health and health-related issues are given low priority in the national agenda, but the federal and provincial governments must treat the HIV outbreak as a health emergency, and act fast against medical malpractices suspected behind the rise in cases of HIV/AIDS.

Without proper attention and intervention immediately, the HIV emergence can develop into full-blown cases of AIDS, one of the most miserable conditions a person can endure.

The reasons for the high figures of HIV/AIDS in this country include unlicensed medical practitioners, or quacks, and large-scale medical malpractice via used syringes (which also leads to the spread of other blood-borne diseases, including hepatitis B and C) and unsterilised medical tools.

Besides, unsafe blood transfusions, contaminated razor blades used by street barbers, a migrant labour force open to commercial sex, along with lack of awareness of safe sexual practices, and taboos around sexual health and practices that make it difficult for those suffering from HIV/AIDS to seek help or even find a support group are also responsible for the rise of HIV/AIDS.

Published in Dawn, April 24th, 2019

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Comments (15) Closed

Gordon D. Walker

Apr 28, 2019 08:20am

A horrific report that begs drastic government intervention to manage and control... Gordon D. Walker Canada

Recommend 0

Omar

Apr 28, 2019 08:26am

Sindh has all the trappings of a failed African country like Liberia , Congo or Ivory Coast .

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Hamed A. Jarwar

Apr 28, 2019 08:34am

Something has certainly gone wrong in Larkana.

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Ayaz Ali

Apr 28, 2019 08:46am

I fully agree with you. The matters seems to be out of control. Hyderabad is also on stake of HIV/AIDS. Our government should completely ban the use of injections under normal condition, compelete ban on unsafe practices at Barber shops, complete ban reuse of syringes and needles. Viral transmission can only be stopped through highly concious medical practices. We need same for Hepatitis.

Recommend 0

Ali Sabir

Apr 28, 2019 08:47am

Woman were stoned to death for having diseases in ancient times, but not the men.

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Preface

Apr 28, 2019 11:52am

Health system in Sindh is a total failure. Its examples are all too common in the interior Sindh and most recently in the case if Nashwa in Karachi. Now to have HIV surge on the home ground of Bhuttos reflects on the misplaced priorities of the PPP government.

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hussain

Apr 28, 2019 01:40pm

the ppp has ruled Sindh but done little other than make fanciful claims, other than give scripted interviews and make tall claims on how they will improve the lot of the people but all they have done is siphon the finances into their own pockets while the average Sindhi suffers and the ppp have the gaul to blame the central government.

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Najma Hisham

Apr 28, 2019 02:25pm

we need to bring Aids out into the open and stop the blame game. the aids Hiv retrovirus is a rogue monkey virus known as Siv that has jumped on to us humans.It has unfairly been linked to the gay community when it actually it affects more women and children.

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M. Emad

Apr 28, 2019 03:32pm

Polio, Dengue, Diarrheal illness, Pneumonia, Malnutrition, Hepatitis, and now HIV/ AIDS.

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Combaticus

Apr 29, 2019 12:27am

Proper use of razors in barber shops and disposal of syringes, setup to screen blood donors and sex education are essential for control otherwise the situation will get worse. I am afraid, the Sindh government does not have the capacity to tackle this problem. Federal government and WHO must intervene.

Recommend 0

Combaticus

Apr 29, 2019 12:29am

@Najma Hisham, without going into details - Gay men are more prone to be infected with HIV. This is common in the west as well.

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Laila

Apr 29, 2019 04:44am

@Najma Hisham, You don't wonder, how it allegedly "jumped" on to us humans? Women and children contract it more because some men/husbands are unfaithful, practise unsafesex, visit brothels or/and are gay (in secret). Thats how the innocent wives contract HIV and obviously can pass it on to children, if pregnant. I am concerned that many kids may not be contracting it through infected blood transfusions or parents but rather through child molesters. Look up older articles. Child abuse targeting boys especially is very common across the country. In order to address this issue we need to put away the taboos and have an honest and informed talk based on facts and stats. This is very very disturbing to read about.

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Laila

Apr 29, 2019 04:46am

@Ayaz Ali , I dont think majority contract it through syringes. What about unsafe sex, marital infidelity, men going to brothels and secretly gay men, who are married to women? You discount their impact on these numbers. Further you should consider child abusers who can pass it on to kids easily. We need to be honest and not hide behind social taboos and fake conservatism. Otherwise we will never get to the bottom of this.

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Sabir, Punjab Pakistan

Apr 29, 2019 07:34am

Bilawal Bhutto should visit Larkana not multan.

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Odd views

Apr 29, 2019 02:36pm

Doctors / compounders / nurses and barbers are the main culprits. Such widespread HIV makes me feel that it is an organized attempt to infect masses with an objective.

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