HIV cases among thalassaemic kids: Experts warn against systemic lapses in blood banks

New Delhi, Dec 18 While public health efforts have led to a decline in annual new HIV infections in the last decade, the recent spread of the AIDS causing virus to thalassaemic children in Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand highlights “systemic lapses in blood bank regulations” that need to be addressed immediately, said health experts on Thursday.

In a shocking incident, at least six children have been found HIV positive at Satna district hospital, allegedly due to contaminated blood transfusions at the district hospital during treatment for thalassaemia.

The children affected include five boys aged under 11 and a nine-year-old girl who have been undergoing blood transfusions at the hospital. While the children were found positive between January and May 2025, the matter has come to light now.

This comes after six children with thalassemia in the West Singhbhum district of Jharkhand, reportedly contracted HIV from contaminated blood transfusions at a government hospital in Chaibasa in November.

“Clustering of HIV infections in thalassaemic children may be an indication of systemic lapses in blood-bank regulation, screening, and monitoring,” Dr Neeraj Nischal, Additional Professor in the Department of Medicine at AIIMS, Delhi, told IANS.

“Addressing this requires strict enforcement of licensing norms, mandatory NAT testing, regular audits, digital traceability of blood units, and clear accountability for violations,” he added.

As per data from the Health Ministry, between 2010 and 2024, India achieved a 48.7 per cent decline in annual new HIV infections, an 81.4 per cent reduction in AIDS-related deaths, and a 74.6 per cent decline in mother-to-child HIV transmission.

Further, HIV testing increased from 4.13 crore (2020-21) to 6.62 crore (2024-25), and access to antiretroviral treatment rose from 14.94 lakh to 18.60 lakh PLHIV. However, two instances highlight systemic failure and administrative collapse in the blood banking system, the experts said.

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“If HIV tests for screenings in blood banks are not moved to NAAT-Nucleic Acid Amplification Test, which reduces the window period from 90 days to just a week, such instances will keep infecting children and thus hitting headlines. The Health Ministry will have to act with a sense of utmost urgency,” he added.

With current screening protocols, the risk of HIV transmission through blood transfusion and organ donation is extremely low, often estimated at less than one per million transfusions.

“However, this risk rises sharply when donor screening is weak or bypassed, testing is outdated, or regulatory oversight is weak. Strict adherence to mandatory testing, quality assurance, and traceable donor systems is essential to ensure that such preventable transmissions do not occur. Universal testing, window-period reduction through advanced assays, and transparent donor registries are essential to prevent transmission,” Nischal told IANS.

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