Concerns over the spread of HIV in Karachi have intensified after 15 children tested positive at Social Security Landhi Hospital, months after a separate outbreak involving dozens of children at Kulsoom Bai Valika Hospital.
According to information obtained by SAMAA TV, the affected children are between four months and eight years old.
Hospital records show that four children tested positive in January, two in February, one in March, five in April, and three in May.
Sources said the cases remained undisclosed for several months, raising concerns that additional infections may have gone undetected.
Parents of the affected children have reportedly avoided speaking publicly because of fear and the social stigma associated with HIV.
The latest cases come after nearly 100 children were reported to have contracted HIV at Kulsoom Bai Valika Hospital, where nine children have died.
Speaking to SAMAA, the father of one of the infected children appealed to the government for financial assistance, saying he could not afford the medication required for his child's treatment.
Health authorities have not yet issued an official statement on the newly reported cases or confirmed whether an investigation has been launched to determine the source of the infections.
