Urgent attention is needed to halt new HIV infections in Pakistan. Between 2010 and 2018, there has been 57% increase in infections, due to which it has been ranked the 2nd country after the Philippines in Asia-Pacific which the disease is spreading.
A study blames HIV outbreak in kids on bad healthcare. This was the observation of an expert working since long in the HIV field who don’t want to be identified.
As many as 17 new HIV positive cases were detected in 12 working days between 9th to 21st December at the screening camp working since 25th April at the Taluka Headquarter Hospital (THQ) in Ratodero. The toll has now reached to 1221 out of which 68 are adult males, 183 adult females, 597 male children and 373 female children. One case out of 43 screened was found HIV positive on Saturday 21st December which shows that there are still hidden cases which need to be found through mass screening and awareness campaign which are yet to be launched the sooner the better as so far 38,213 people among the general population have been tested. However, nobody reached for screening at five outreach sites working at Rural Health Centers & Basic Health Units of Naundero, Banguldero, Lashari, Pir Bux Bhutto of Larkana district apart from Ratodero and Garhi Yasin of Shikarpur district which too shows that people are only interested to go to Ratodero camp.
On the other hand, Dr Imran Akbar Arbani of Ratodero said while talking to this scribe on Monday that 2019 was the year in which massive HIV outbreak among children astonished the world but it is yet to be ascertained with what face we will be entering in 2020 as far as the future of the infected children is concerned. Dr. Arbani is a world record holder since 11 years on 24th June, 2008 for operating a patient having heaviest kidney stone in the world under the leadership of Prof. Malik Hussain Jalbani in Urology Department of Chandka Medical College Hospital, Larkana, which is mentioned in the Guinness Book of World Records. He said it should be ensured that no further deaths take place and all the positive children and adults live their full healthy life without stigma or discrimination on the part of civil society. He said no concrete steps have yet been taken despite tall claims for the rehabilitation of the affected people which continue to emerge since 25th April, 2019. He said specialist cadre doctors have neither been appointed nor all diagnostic or treatment facilities have been made available under one roof which proves that provincial government is not serious to handle the issue properly which has defamed it worldwide.
Dr Arbani said that so far 42 deaths have occurred in AIDS related cases out of which 38 were babies and four adults which should be enough to awake the rulers to take appropriate measures to prevent further spread of this viral disease and provision of required treatment facilities at one place under one roof, or else, he added, infected poor people will continue to die as most of them are illiterate. He said quack clinics, barbers and throwing of hospital waste in open sky has surfaced again which need to be curbed once for all with iron hands of law or else HIV cases will not be stopped. He repeated his claim that only 10% of the population has yet been screened in last eight months and entire suspected people are to be tested along with the entire siblings of all the positive cases.
