Pakistan Hospital HIV Outbreak Raises Safety Concerns

Key Developments:

• More than 100 HIV cases have been detected around Valika Hospital
• Authorities ordered inquiries and infection-control measures
• Families and doctors continue to seek treatment and accountability

KARACHI (Eastern Herald) — September 25, 2026: A growing HIV outbreak associated with the Kulsoom Bai Valika Hospital in Karachi has renewed concerns over infection-control practices, treatment access and the protection of children receiving medical care.

The outbreak, which first came to wider attention after HIV-positive children were identified among patients treated at the Sindh Employees’ Social Security Institution (SESSI)-run hospital, has resulted in more than 100 people testing positive in screening around the facility, according to provincial authorities. Earlier government figures cited 120 positive cases among more than 10,500 people screened around Valika Hospital.

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However, the precise number of infections attributable to hospital treatment remains a matter for investigation. NPR, which reported extensively on the outbreak, issued a correction noting that the approximately 140 people who had recently tested positive were mostly children, but that not all cases had been conclusively linked to medical care.

The outbreak has nevertheless raised serious questions about infection prevention at the facility. Sindh authorities previously reported lapses involving infection-control procedures, personal protective equipment and the handling of single-use syringes.

The outbreak, which first came to wider attention after HIV-positive children were identified among patients treated at the Sindh Employees’ Social Security Institution (SESSI)-run hospital, has resulted in more than 100 people testing positive in screening around the facility, according to provincial authorities. CREDIT: AlJazeera.

A July inspection by the Sindh Healthcare Commission also found that used needles were being manually removed from syringes rather than consistently placed in sharps-disposal containers. The commission said the practice raised concerns about how the needles were ultimately disposed of.

Dr Fatima Mir of Aga Khan University Hospital, identified in the source report as one of the clinicians treating affected children, warned about the wider implications of inadequate injection safety.

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“Without major reforms in how injections are administered and sterile equipment is procured in public facilities, more hospitals in the country risk spreading HIV,” she said.

The Valika cases have also revived memories of Pakistan’s 2019 Ratodero outbreak in Sindh, when hundreds of children were diagnosed with HIV amid investigations into unsafe healthcare practices. A later outbreak in Taunsa, Punjab, similarly prompted concerns about infection-control procedures.

The Sindh High Court has since directed the provincial government to establish an independent and comprehensive inquiry into the Valika outbreak. The court also ordered authorities to ensure that affected children and other identified patients receive free and uninterrupted treatment and called for preventive measures at the hospital.

“The matter cannot be treated merely as an administrative issue,” the Sindh High Court observed, stressing that public-health and medical-safety responsibilities are linked to the constitutional protection of life.

The court also cautioned that allegations or departmental proceedings alone cannot establish individual culpability, saying responsibility must be determined on the basis of evidence and after affected personnel have been given an opportunity to respond.

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Authorities have taken several measures in response. Sindh officials have reported disciplinary action against hospital staff, expanded screening and the creation of a Rs2 billion endowment fund intended to support the long-term treatment and welfare of affected children.

We filmed staff who failed to wear gloves and injected patients through clothing. CREDIT: BBC.

The government has also continued screening around SESSI-run facilities. In July, officials said 10,500 people around Valika Hospital had been screened, while a separate screening programme around the SESSI-run Landhi Hospital identified additional HIV-positive cases.

The issue extends beyond diagnosis. Pakistan’s National AIDS Control Programme says HIV treatment relies on antiretroviral therapy (ART), which controls the virus but does not cure the infection. The programme says treatment requires continued access to prescribed medicines and also includes management of opportunistic infections and other clinical services.

Pakistan’s national HIV programme reported 84,421 registered HIV cases and 60,785 people receiving antiretroviral therapy through 98 ART centres as of December 2025. The figures represent registered cases rather than the total estimated number of people living with HIV.

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The wider HIV response has also faced international funding pressures. At AIDS 2026, UNAIDS and other organisations reported substantial reductions in global HIV funding following cuts in international assistance. An International AIDS Society survey found that some organisations affected by PEPFAR disruptions reported difficulties obtaining antiretroviral medicines and other HIV commodities. However, the available evidence does not establish that the Valika outbreak itself was caused by these funding changes.

A September 17 update from Pakistan’s Common Management Unit said national and provincial authorities were working on expanded ART-centre coverage, viral-load testing, data sharing and improved retention and follow-up of people living with HIV.

Asma, 10, was diagnosed with HIV despite her mother, Sughra, testing negative. CREDIT: BBC.

Reporting published around September 23–24 continued to highlight allegations by families that children contracted HIV after receiving medical care, while also documenting the deaths of some affected children and the continuing struggle of families seeking treatment and accountability.

The Valika outbreak therefore remains a matter of public-health investigation rather than a case in which every reported infection can be conclusively attributed to the hospital. What has been established is that serious infection-control concerns were identified at the facility and that provincial authorities and the courts have ordered further investigation and corrective measures.

The continuing challenge is to ensure that children living with HIV receive uninterrupted treatment while healthcare facilities maintain strict standards for injection safety, infection prevention, medical-waste disposal and patient protection.

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