Bloodborne HIV: Don't Get Stuck!

4 children, 2 adults, 2006: In mid-summer 2007, the head of Tajikistan’s HIV/AIDS prevention center reported at least 6 persons, including 4 children, were accidentally infected with HIV in a hospital during end-2006.[1]

>239 children, 2009-14: During 2009-14, Government of Tajikistan identified 361 children aged <15 years with HIV, of which 239 were reported with an “unknown” source of infection and 132 had an HIV-positive mother.[2] In 2014 alone, the Government identified 83 HIV-positive children with HIV-negative mothers; 51 of these 83 children were aged 2-4 years. Because mothers were seldom tested first, but only after their children were found with AIDS, it is likely many HIV-positive mothers got HIV from their babies through breastfeeding. Hence, more than 239 of 361 HIV-positive children likely got HIV from unsafe health care, and some of these children infected their mothers.

References 

1. Pannier B. Kyrgyzstan: Officials investigate accidental HIV/AIDS infections [internet]. 1 August 2008. Praque: RadioFreeEurope/Radio Liberty. Available at: https://www.rferl.org/a/1077927.html (accessed 4 January 2019).

2.  WHO, CHIP. HIV Programme. HIV Programme Review in Tajikistan: Evaluation Report, September 2014. Copenhagen, CHIP, 2014. Available at: https://chip.dk/Portals/0/files/CC%20WHO/HIV-Programme-Review-in-Tajikistan%20(final%20report).pdf (accessed 31 July 2019).