HIV cases in Thalassaemic kids expose lapses in India’s blood banks
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New Delhi: While India has seen a decline in annual new HIV infections over the last decade, the recent transmission of the virus to thalassaemic children in Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand has raised serious concerns over systemic lapses in blood bank regulations, experts said on Thursday.
At least six children receiving treatment for thalassaemia at Satna district hospital in Madhya Pradesh tested HIV positive, allegedly due to contaminated blood transfusions. The affected children include five boys under the age of 11 and a nine-year-old girl. Although they were found positive between January and May 2025, the case has come to light only recently.
A similar incident occurred in West Singhbhum district, Jharkhand, where six thalassaemic children reportedly contracted HIV from contaminated blood transfusions at a government hospital in Chaibasa in November.
“Clustering of HIV infections in thalassaemic children indicates systemic lapses in blood-bank regulation, screening, and monitoring,” said Dr Neeraj Nischal, Additional Professor, Department of Medicine, AIIMS, Delhi. He stressed the need for strict enforcement of licensing norms, mandatory NAT testing, regular audits, digital traceability of blood units, and clear accountability for violations.
Data from the Health Ministry shows that between 2010 and 2024, India achieved a 48.7% decline in annual new HIV infections, an 81.4% reduction in AIDS-related deaths, and a 74.6% decline in mother-to-child HIV transmission. HIV testing rose from 4.13 crore (2020-21) to 6.62 crore (2024-25), while access to antiretroviral treatment increased from 14.94 lakh to 18.60 lakh people living with HIV (PLHIV).
However, these recent cases underscore systemic failures and administrative lapses in blood banking, experts said.
“India must implement radical reforms using the latest technology and enforce strict accountability,” said Dr Ishwar Gilada, President Emeritus, AIDS Society of India. He added that without Nucleic Acid Amplification Testing (NAAT), which reduces the HIV detection window period from 90 days to a week, such incidents will continue to occur.
Currently, the risk of HIV transmission through blood transfusion is extremely low—less than one per million transfusions—but rises sharply when donor screening is weak, testing is outdated, or regulatory oversight is lacking, Dr Nischal noted. He emphasised the importance of mandatory testing, quality assurance, traceable donor systems, universal testing, advanced assays, and transparent donor registries to prevent such preventable infections.
These incidents highlight the urgent need for strengthened blood bank regulations and modernised screening protocols to protect vulnerable patients, particularly children with thalassaemia.
With IANS inputs