KARACHI:
In the densely populated poor neighborhoods clustered around Valika Hospital, a silent crisis is unfolding—a crisis that has left dozens of families searching for answers and battling a stigma as painful as the disease itself.
As the number of HIV-positive children rises to 80, parents say their lives have been turned upside down – not just by a diagnosis they can’t explain, but by the rejection, fear and isolation that followed.
While authorities say all infected children are receiving treatment through Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) centers and have announced a Rs2 billion grant fund for long-term care, the affected families describe a grim reality of delayed treatment, financial burden and deep social stigma.
The outbreak first surfaced in October 2025, prompting expanded screening and an ongoing investigation. Most cases have emerged from neighborhoods surrounding the hospital, including Banaras, Orangi Town, SITE Area, Ittehad Town and Pathan Colony. For many parents, the biggest question remains unanswered: how their children contracted the virus.
“We both tested negative. We still don’t know how our daughter contracted HIV,” said Mehtab, father of three-year-old Uzma Naz. He said his daughter was admitted to Valika Hospital in October 2025 with fever and underwent several tests, including a blood transfusion, during a 10- to 12-day stay.
“When two children in my brother’s family tested positive, I finally agreed to get my daughter tested. Her result also came back positive,” he said, adding that both he and his wife later tested negative.
Mehtab also alleged delays in hospital services. “Tests were prescribed in the morning but the blood sample was only taken around 4pm after repeated visits to officials,” he said.
In addition to the medical ordeal, families say they now struggle with social isolation.
“Our children’s lives have been ruined. Neighbors and even relatives shun them. We want justice and proper treatment,” he said. For Ayesha Kamran, whose 17-month-old son is HIV-positive, the diagnosis has changed her life. “My in-laws forced me out of the house,” she said, adding that her husband, a daily wage worker, risks losing his job if he takes time off. “If he doesn’t work, how are we going to survive?”
She said her son, admitted to Valika Hospital in August 2025, was diagnosed months later after another illness.
“My child remained without medicine for two days. HIV treatment must be timely but we could not get it,” she added.
Another parent, Aftab, whose three children – aged 12 and three and a daughter aged 8 – are HIV positive, said the stigma has been as devastating as the disease itself.
“The school asked us to take our children away because other parents wanted to withdraw theirs,” he said. “In our neighborhood, kids don’t play with them anymore.”
He described cases of discrimination at social events. “At weddings, my children were seated separately and were served food in separate utensils.”
“Their questions crack me up,” he added. “They ask: what disease do we have, why is everyone avoiding us, what have we done wrong?”
Local officials claim the extent of the outbreak may be greater than reported. Pathan Colony Union Council chairman Irshad Khan said evidence submitted to the Sindh High Court suggests the number of cases may exceed 100.
He also raised concerns over alleged negligence, including the use of expired test kits and poor infection control practices in the hospital’s children’s ward.
“We do not want the hospital to be shut down because it serves the poor, but those responsible must be held accountable,” he said.
Khan further criticized attempts to shift blame onto administrative staff, arguing that procurement and clinical decisions fall outside their mandate. He warned that if the investigation lacks transparency, his organization would seek a judicial inquiry.
Despite ongoing investigations, families say accountability remains elusive.
The Sindh government has initiated disciplinary action, suspending two doctors and 17 nursing staff while issuing show cause notices to 37 doctors and paramedical staff. The hospital’s chief physician has also been removed.
But for affected families, the crisis goes beyond numbers.
They continue to struggle with interrupted treatment, rising costs and social rejection, while demanding answers about how the infections occurred – and assurances that no other children will suffer the same fate.
“We don’t just need treatment,” said one parent. “We need justice, dignity and a future for our children.”
