Karachi: The Pakistan government has sought the help of the World Health organisation (WHO) to probe the recent outbreak of HIV in the country's Sindh province, that has till now affected over 600 people, mostly children, according to a media report. Till now 681 HIV positive cases have been identified among the 21,375 tested in Ratodero town of Larkana district in the north-west part of the province. Out of the affected 537 are between the ages of 2 to 15.

HIV Cases in Larkana: Federal government providing testing kits, medicines and the team of top International Experts.
~Health Minister Dr. Zafar Mirza pic.twitter.com/VtLNkwYP0w

— Govt of Pakistan (@pid_gov) May 27, 2019

Pakistan - International rapid response team called over HIV/AIDS outbreak in Sindh https://t.co/zplym5vdXT h/t Shiloh

— FluTrackers.com (@FluTrackers) May 28, 2019

Traveling to Pakistan right now to lead the @WHO investigation into the cause of this huge #HIV outbreak in #Pakistan https://t.co/xsgw7WmDgm

— Oliver Morgan (@OWMorgan) May 28, 2019

Meeting with #community organisations is imp to get feedback on real issues faced by communities. Meeting held with #Perwaz #Male Health Society working on #HIV #prevention among key populations in #Karachi, #Sindh@UNAIDS believes in #community #engagement along with partners pic.twitter.com/iocyyBDFsi

— Fahmida Iqbal Khan (@FahmidaIqbal) May 28, 2019

Health officials have attributed the cause to the use of unsanitary equipment, unsafe blood transfusion and rampant malpractice often at the hands of quack doctors. "We are expecting a 10-member rapid response team from the WHO and Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to arrive in a few days and we will be able to know the exact reason for the outbreak of the disease in Ratodero," Special Assistant, Zafar Mirza to the Prime Minister, on National Health Services, was quoted.