Alarms from Rato Dero, 600 positive out of 21000 screen for HIV

Minister of State for National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination Dr. Zafar Mirza has said that a 10-member team comprising World Health Organization’s (WHO) technical and professional experts would visit Pakistan to investigate the outbreak of HIV in affected area of district Larkana of Sindh.

“A total of 21,375 people had been screened so far, out of which 681 people had been identified as HIV positive with case detection rate of 3.2%. Most striking feature of this outbreak was the fact that children between the ages of 2-5 years were most infected followed by age group 6-15 years“, he said.

He said the federal government had assured the Sindh government for federal ministry’s support in provision of HIV test kits, diagnostics, living support and establishing three more treatment centres at Mirpur Khas, Nawab Shah and Hyderabad.