At least 331 children in Pakistan’s Punjab province contracted HIV between November 2024 and October 2025 in a suspected healthcare-linked outbreak, with a BBC investigation uncovering unsafe injection practices at a government hospital in Taunsa.The identified cases have raised serious concerns about infection control after evidence emerged that syringes were repeatedly reused on medicine vials, potentially contaminating them and exposing multiple patients to the virus.According to findings from an undercover probe by BBC Eye, syringes were reused on multi-dose vials at least 10 times during covert filming at the Tehsil Headquarters (THQ) Hospital in Taunsa. In several instances, medication from the same vial was administered to different children, heightening the risk of HIV transmission.Health data indicates that in more than half of the 331 cases, “contaminated needles” were listed as the likely mode of transmission. Notably, among a sample of 97 affected children, only four mothers tested HIV-positive, suggesting the outbreak was not primarily due to mother-to-child transmission.The crisis first came to light in late 2024 when a local doctor observed an unusual spike in paediatric HIV cases, most of whom had reportedly received treatment at the same hospital.Despite a government crackdown in March 2025 and the suspension of the hospital’s medical superintendent, unsafe practices allegedly continued months later. Footage also showed staff administering injections without gloves, handling medical waste improperly, and leaving used equipment in non-sterile conditions.Hospital authorities have disputed the findings, calling the footage “staged” or outdated, while the local government said there is no conclusive evidence directly linking the facility to the outbreak, BBC reported.
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Experts, however, warn that high reliance on injections, coupled with supply shortages and poor training, may be driving unsafe practices. The outbreak echoes previous incidents in Pakistan where improper medical procedures have led to the spread of infectious diseases.
