HIV outbreak

At least 15 children, some as young as one, have now tested HIV-positive after being treated at Valika Hospital in SITE Town, Karachi. Since the unfolding of this tragedy, two children have lost their lives, and the number of infected children has not been curtailed. What should be termed as a national health emergency of the highest order is instead being pushed under the rug by the hospital in an attempt to evade accountability and repercussions for possible malpractice.

Government officials have attempted to assure the public about ongoing investigations, yet even preliminary accounts reveal glaring lapses in maintaining safety standards for sensitive health procedures. Unsafe injection practices, including the reuse of syringes, barely scratches the surface. As the spread of HIV hinges on contact with an infected person's bodily fluid, including blood, the severity of this outbreak is truly inconceivable.

The danger extends far beyond a single neighbourhood in Karachi. The city's fragile public healthcare system, especially for children, has long suffered from underinvestment and chronic negligence - or downright apathy. Along with that, HIV remains shrouded in stigma. This ill-fated pairing makes this situation particularly horrifying.

The reality is that early diagnosis and consistent antiretroviral treatment can grant infected children full, healthy lives. But this is only possible if the hospital responsible allows a transparent screening of all the children recently treated in the first place. The broader healthcare system must take strict action against failure to comply with necessary procedures to ensure that this crisis is the last. But if this moment is wasted and innocent children are allowed to suffer at the hands of an apathetic, malicious healthcare institution that does more harm than good, the cost will be much larger than the two children who have already paid the price. The responsibility to protect our children is ours alone.