With 160,000 prisoners, South Africa has the largest prison population in Africa, according to a recent speech by Correctional Services Minister Sdu Ndebele. Overcrowding is also a serious problem, and that makes South Africa ripe for two other problems: TB and, given the high percentage of HIV in the country, TB-HIV. As part of the government's effort to address this and other health issues, The Union was invited to offer its programmatic TB-HIV course to health managers working in the correctional services across the country.
During the five-day course, the 23 managers were joined by three community activists from Footballers for Life to learn about the 12-point policy package for TB-HIV services that is recommended internationally. Footballers for Life is a local non-governmental organisation that educates inmates about TB and HIV and supports them in adhering to their treatment. Together, the participants identified barriers to integrated TB-HIV care within the prison system and developed a short-term barrier-breaking plan to mitigate them. They will need regular support from the National Department of Health, Department of Correctional Services and partners to implement their action plans.
TB and HIV are serious public health problems in the prison systems of many countries. A report by The Union's TB Control in Prisons Working Group, published in January 2013 by the International Journal of TB and Lung Disease, found that TB rates in prisons internationally are five to 70 times higher than in the general population. A 2007 United Nations report on HIV in prisons in sub-Saharan Africa found that HIV prevalence was five to 50 times higher. These diseases not only affect those in prison; they also have an impact on the communities to which prisoners return, which adds to the urgent need to address them.
"Working together: strengthening the implementation of collaborative TB-HIV activities" was held on 20–24 May 2013 in Johannesburg, South Africa. The course was organised in collaboration with the National Department of Health of South Africa, the Department of Correctional Services, University Research Co. (URC) and The Union.
For more information about this course, please visit Courses at www.theunion.org
Learn more about this issue:
Time to act to prevent and control tuberculosis among inmates (Official Statement of The Union)
http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/iuatld/ijtld/2013/00000017/00000001/art00004
HIV and Prisons in sub-Saharan Africa: Opportunities for Action
http://www.unodc.org/documents/hiv-aids/Africa%20HIV_Prison_Paper_Oct-23-07-en.pdf