HIV outbreak in Pakistan: How deadly safety lapses at Sindh hospital put children at risk
An HIV outbreak in a Karachi hospital has infected at least 78 children due to severe medical negligence and poor waste management. Investigations revealed the reuse of syringes and a lack of basic sterilization protocols.
Why it matters
The incident highlights critical systemic failures in public healthcare infrastructure and the urgent need for medical safety reforms in the region.
At least 78 children have contracted HIV in an outbreak in Pakistan's Karachi linked to serious infection-control and medical waste management failures at a state-run hospital.Findings at the Sindh Employees Social Security Institution (SESSI)-run Valika Hospital in Karachi's SITE area revealed needles manually removed from syringes, inadequate sterilisation safeguards and untrained staff handling contaminated waste.The Sindh Healthcare Commission (SHCC), which conducted a regulatory inspection of the state-run hospital, found that used needles were not being disposed of in sharps bins.
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