Multiple children with thalassemia in India have tested positive for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) following blood transfusions, prompting investigations into medical practices. Thalassemia is a genetic blood disorder that necessitates regular blood transfusions for patient survival.
Incidents in Madhya Pradesh
Authorities in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh reported on Wednesday that five children, aged between three and 15 years, diagnosed with thalassemia have tested positive for HIV. These cases, all from Satna district, were detected during routine screenings conducted between January and May 2025. A committee has been established to investigate the circumstances surrounding these infections.
Satna district collector Satish Kumar S stated that the affected children received blood transfusions at various facilities, including both government hospitals and private clinics, involving multiple donors. While one three-year-old's parents were identified as HIV positive, ruling out mother-to-child transmission in other cases, the chief medical and health officer of Satna, Manoj Shukla, confirmed that children undergoing multiple transfusions are routinely screened for HIV, and treatment was initiated immediately upon detection.
Dr. Shukla added that every unit of blood from the district hospital's blood bank undergoes government-mandated testing before release. However, he noted that early-stage HIV infections in donors can occasionally bypass initial screening tests.
Previous Occurrences in India
These incidents follow a similar report from the eastern state of Jharkhand weeks prior, where five children under the age of eight, also suffering from thalassemia, contracted HIV after blood transfusions at a state-run hospital. In October of the previous year, following similar incidents in Jharkhand, authorities suspended a lab assistant, the doctor managing the HIV unit, and the chief surgeon of the involved state-run hospital. Chief Minister Hemant Soren also announced financial assistance of 200,000 rupees for each affected family.
A similar investigation was launched in 2011 in Gujarat after 23 children with thalassemia tested HIV positive following regular blood transfusions at a public hospital.
HIV in India and Legislative Efforts
HIV, which can spread through unsafe medical practices, including infected blood transfusions, affects over 2.5 million people in India, with approximately 66,400 new infections annually. Over 1.6 million individuals are currently receiving lifelong antiretroviral therapy (ART) treatment.
In response to ongoing concerns, thalassemia patients and campaigners have urged India's parliament to pass the National Blood Transfusion Bill 2025. Proponents of the bill state that it would enhance the regulation of blood collection, testing, and transfusion processes, aiming to ensure safer and quality-assured blood for patients reliant on frequent transfusions.