Karachi records highest number of HIV positive patients
KARACHI: Karachi district has recorded the highest number of HIV positive patients in Sindh, according to the officials of communicable diseases control (CDC) in Sindh.
2,725 people are found to have become contracted with HIV, stated the officials of communicable diseases control (CDC) in Sindh.
Total 6,768 HIV positive patients are living in Karachi, the highest number of HIV infected people in the province, revealed CDC (HIV/AIDS) Sindh Additional Director Dr Irshad Kazmi during a training workshop for journalists in Karachi.
He further stated that, Larkana has 2,430 HIV positive people, including 1,200 children.
According to Dr Kazmi, the use of of therapeutic injections is contributing in increasing HIV positive patients in the country.
“Over 800 million therapeutic injections are given annually in Pakistan, which means that each person gets 4.5 injections per year, which is the highest in the world.”
Moreover, the practices unsafe injection and poor infection prevention control the leading causes of increasing HIV transmission, especially in Children of Larkana.
“So far, 1,939 people infected with HIV, who were registered with the health department, have lost their lives in the province, including 1,492 men, 217 women, 131 male children, 72 female children and 27 transgender persons.” said Dr Kazmi.
He further added that “HIV infection is treatable and hundreds of people infected with HIV are living normal lives by taking regular medicines. Medicines for the HIV treatment are being provided free of charge to the patients registered with us”.
Also read : Report reveals poverty as main cause behind outbreak of HIV in Ratodero
Earlier in 2019, an epidemic of HIV outbreak devastatingly affected children of the city near Larkana. Around 900 children were left bedfast.
Initially one pediatrician was blamed for causing the spread of disease, later, it turned out that poverty was the main reason behind the deadly illness gripping the area, a report published by The New York Times revealed.
More than 1,100 people have contracted the virus with more than 81 percent of them children under the age of 12.
During an investigation, it was revealed that a large number of poor children had visited the same doctor, Muzaffar Ghanghro, who reused syringes on them. He was the cheapest doctor in the locality and people could not afford expensive treatment.
