ZAMBIA: Call for more attention to be paid to HIV/AIDS in prisons

Zambia's government can no longer afford to ignore the growing problem of HIV/AIDS in prisons, a visiting Canadian activist has warned.

During a workshop on 'HIV/AIDS in Prisons', held in Lusaka this week, Ralph Jurgens, a human rights advisor to the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network, said the increasing numbers of HIV-positive prisoners could have a devastating impact on society once they were released.

There was also a need to ensure that prisoners receiving antiretrovirals before their imprisonment continued with the drugs to prevent the development of drug resistance, a local newspaper, The Post, reported Jurgens as saying.

A former inmate attending the workshop called for increased funding for HIV/AIDS education campaigns for prisoners.

Theme (s): Care/Treatment - PlusNews,

[This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations]