Experts raise alarm over prevalence of HIV in voluntary blood donors in Sindh –II
The alarming rise of HIV-positive voluntary blood donors in Sindh has prompted health experts and authorities to take immediate action. Key Recommendations: - Improve blood screening and testing protocols. Dr Syed Faisal Mahmood - Enhance donor education and awareness campaigns. - Increase access to HIV testing and counseling. By Mukhtar Alam KARACHI: When contacted by this reporter, Dr Syed Faisal Mahmood, head of the Infectious Diseases section at the Aga Khan University, remarked that the situation is alarming, but the rates of HIV positive cases are still low, against the rates of some other transfusion transmitted infections (TTIs) in the community. “Towards a way out I will suggest to ensure that screening of blood is mandatory; is being done with reliable test kits; and that any positives are linked to care and they are not lost,” he said. “Due to weaknesses of the blood collection and transfusion system, there are more undetected people in Sindh, leave alone the hi...