KARACHI: Around 56 per cent of 748 people, who tested positive for HIV in Larkana district’s Ratodero town, are children aged five and less, a report shared by the provincial health ministry said on Monday.

Officials said 611 out of 748 victims are children — 15 years or less — registering an alarming percentage of more than 84.

They said some 26,107 persons have been screened for the deadly lifelong disease of which 748 have tested positive for HIV in Ratodero and surrounding areas.

These victims are almost equally divided gender-wise — 51 per cent males and 49pc females.

The latest report says the age group distribution among the reported HIV infection revealed most affected age group was 2-5 years.

These figures are followed by the children above that age till 15 years – 18.7pc. Some 8.1pc children are toddlers aged up to two years; thus, 84pc of the total victims are children aged 15 or less.

Another 137 victims are adults.

“All cases are reactive on rapid diagnostic test (RDT) by Sindh AIDS Control Programme,” said the report.

A team of experts belonging to the World Health Organisation is already working in the affected area to know causes of the outbreak.

The WHO experts have arrived in the country on the request of the federal government to investigate the HIV outbreak and help the provincial authorities in treatment.

The local authorities have also started screening of communities in limited scale in parts of Shikarpur district, which is contiguous to Larkana and has reported a few similar cases recently.

The officials said they had established screening camp at the Taluka Headquarters Hospital Ratodero; and an HIV/AIDS ART Treatment Centre has been set up at the Shaikh Zayed Children Hospital in Larkana.

Quackery, unauthorised labs & blood banks

They claimed unauthorised laboratories, blood banks and clinics had been closed by the anti-quackery team of the health department and the Sindh Healthcare Commission with support of the district administration.

They said awareness and health education sessions should be conducted in communities of spread and transmission of HIV/AIDS; and all the high-risk groups, parents of the affected children and their close contacts in the family should be screened for HIV.

Besides, it has been suggested that interventions are necessary for future actions and immediate action should be taken to stop quackery and unauthorised labs and blood banks with the help of health authorities and district administration.

The investigators have advised the ministry to arrange a team of field epidemiologists for intervention of cases and contact tracing with the support of the health ministry.

Besides, proper communication and coordination be developed between the district health authorities and the Sindh AIDS Control Programme; and management of cases and follow-up of identified affected subjects through the SACP.

“Adult group of more than 15 years of age should also be focused in screening to determine underlying burden of HIV in Ratodero,” said the report.

Published in Dawn, June 5th, 2019