LARKANA: As many as 25 new Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) positive cases were detected and registered in November 2018, so far at the HIV/AIDS Treatment and Care Center in Larkana.
Out of these cases, 15 belong to Larkana district alone, whereas four patients are females under the age of 40 years.
Sources at the HIV/AIDS Treatment and Care Center said that the international community will be observing World AIDS Day on December 1 yet the lack of awareness continues to hit the general population as most people are still unaware about safe sex and safe blood transfusion.
The total number of registered HIV positive cases reported at the centre has now risen to 2,276.
At the end of July, the registered patients’ number was 2120 and as many as 156 new cases have been registered in four months which shows that approximately 40 new cases are being detected at the centre every month.
Larkana continues to top the list of districts most affected by HIV in Sindh with 1,007 number of positive cases while the second position is held by Kambar-Shahdadkot district as it has 342 cases and the district of Dadu is at the third position with 335 cases.
Center Incharge Dr Hola Ram said that the number of HIV positive cases is rising day by day for which more effective awareness drives are needed and these campaigns must be held everywhere from cities to remote villages. He informed that the number of positive cases is higher among Male Sex Workers (MSN) and Intravenous Drug Users (IDUs).
Further, HIV/AIDS former focal person in Larkana District Dr Farooq Rahman Soomro told PPI that three kids under the age of 10 years were brought at Children Hospital around two to three months ago. They were sick and were treated at various places but could not be cured. They were then tested for HIV along with their parents and all families were found positive.
“On inquiry, it was revealed by their parents that they were infected from the usage of the same syringe by quacks,” he told adding that the third generation is suffering the most at the moment.
“This is also called Tri-Gender. The second number of cases is found in IDUs and the third number is among commercial sex-workers,” Dr Farooq said.