Whatever happened to . children infected with HIV due to failures in healthcare?

Parents of children who tested positive for HIV after receiving care at Kulsum Bai Valika Hospital in Karachi, Pakistan, held a protest there on July 23. These families received care at Valika Hospital through an aid program run by the labor ministry. Many of the parents of children infected with HIV are low-income factory workers. Betsy Joles for NPR hide caption Seven years ago, Pakistan faced a startling medical tragedy. In the city of Larkana, in Sindh province, 494 children were diagnosed with HIV.

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Scoop News DeskKarachi, Pennsylvania · Published Wednesday, September 2, 2026 at 11:58 AM UTCUpdated Thursday, September 3, 2026 at 4:09 AM UTC

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Here is a report from journalist Betsy Joles in Pakistan on the families affected –- and why the number of infections continues to rise in a country with an estimated 350,000 active HIV cases, according to the World Health Organization, and a surge among youngsters. Laboratory tests provided a startling explanation: All three had contracted HIV, the bloodborne infection that causes AIDS and can be deadly if not treated quickly with the right mix of medicines.

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