ISLAMABAD: Dr Zafar Mirza, Minister of State for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination, has taking notice of reports of HIV/Aids cases in the Larkana district of Sindh province.

A federal team along with Sindh officials are screening people in affected areas. More than 4,100 people have been screened for HIV and a total of 157 positive cases have been identified. Of those 157 who tested positive, 127 were children and 30 were adults. The children that tested positive for HIV were between the ages of four months and eight years.

Mirza directed officials in his ministry to provide support to the Sindh Health Department on an urgent basis.

Although the issue is being addressed by the Sindh Health Department as per its mandate, the federal government is there to provide technical support and advice to arrest the spread of the disease, Mirza said in a statement.

Steps are being taken to investigate the outbreak as well as take remedial measures, he added.

On Mirza’s direction, the National Aids Control Programme and Sindh health officials have started investigating the HIV outbreak in Larkana. This will not only help in finding out the reasons of the outbreak but would also help plan an effective preventive and control response to the outbreak.

As many as 66 HIV-positive patients have been registered with the Aids Treatment Centre in Larkana while the federal government will ensure provision of supplies for treatment of these cases.

Spouses of HIV-positive adults and parents of HIV-positive children have also been screened. The paediatric Aids Treatment Centre in Larkana has also been established to provide treatment facilities. The Federal Aids Control Programme is providing necessary medicines to the centre.

The Sindh Blood Transfusion Authority has sealed two blood banks and issued warnings to three more for non-adherence to safe blood practices out of the 10 blood banks in Larkana to prevent further spread of the disease.

On the request of the provincial health department, the federal ministry has provided 3,000 testing kits for HIV screening in Larkana.