Pakistan's Ratodero scandal: HIV-positive children treated like outcasts
In 2019, the Ratodero scandal broke out in Pakistan. The town in the country's southern Sindh province was suddenly in the spotlight after a doctor revealed that thousands of children had been infected with HIV. An investigation showed that dangerous and illegal hygiene practices of doctors such as reusing disposable syringes for injections were at the origin of the outbreak. The scandal is Pakistan's biggest healthcare scandal and the largest HIV epidemic among children in Asia. Five years on, those affected are discriminated against and treated like outcasts. Our correspondents report, with the collaboration of Sameer Mandhro.
In 2019, the Ratodero scandal broke out in Pakistan. The town in the country's southern Sindh province was suddenly in the spotlight after a doctor revealed that thousands of children had been infected with HIV. An investigation showed that dangerous and illegal hygiene practices of doctors such as reusing disposable syringes for injections were at the origin of the outbreak. The scandal is Pakistan's biggest healthcare scandal and the largest HIV epidemic among children in Asia. Five years on, those affected are discriminated against and treated like outcasts. Our correspondents report, with the collaboration of Sameer Mandhro.
