Doctor Stephen Asiimwe, the HIV Prevention Officer at Uganda AIDS Commission observes that the apparent policy rigidities in the management of prison facilities are slowing down the prevention intervention against the virus among prisoners.
Uganda AIDs Commission-UAC is proposing a management policy review for Prison facilities to allow for expanded HIV prevention services for inmates.
Doctor Stephen Asiimwe, the HIV Prevention Officer at Uganda AIDS Commission, observes that the policy rigidities in the management of prison facilities are slowing down the prevention intervention against the virus among prisoners.
The 2024 HIV status report by the Uganda AIDS Commission highlights that HIV prevalence among inmates is triple the national average burden of 5.1%. It indicates that the prevalence in prisons generally stands at 15%, of which 13% is presenting among females while 11% prevalence is among male inmates.
Dr. Asiimwe indicates that the high HIV prevalence among the prison population presents a serious impediment to the campaign to end new infections by 2030.
He prefers that the management policies for prison facilities be relaxed to further open doors for expanded access to HIV prevention services by inmates. Reports suggest that some of the inmates are variously exposed to risks of acquiring the virus while in detention, hence having the potential of spreading it further upon release.
Dr. Asiimwe observes that besides offering treatment to already positive inmates, it is also of great importance for the facilities to allow access to medical prevention interventions such as Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) or Post-Exposure prophylaxis pills to prisoners who may need them so that they can remain safe.
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He says they are going to initiate dialogues with the prison authorities and the different HIV prevention and treatment service providers to find ways of working together, pending processes to formally review the policy.
Similarly, Doctor Jonathan Kitoonsa, a researcher at the Medical Research Council/ Uganda Virus Research Institute (MRC/UVRI) also supports the proposed policy reviews, observing that given the identified risks in prison facilities, it is necessary to initiate the inmates on PrEP for as long as they remain exposed to risk factors.
He says it is high time the government considered making deliberate efforts to mitigate the risks of the spread of the virus among the inmates as it does in the general population.
However, Frank Baine Mayanja, the Spokesperson of the Uganda Prison Services, still downplays the possibility of providing PrEP and PEP to prisoners over fears that it could promote homosexuality in the prison facilities.
He says that all inmates are tested on admission into prisons, and those who test positive are given HIV treatment, but some inmates are brought in during the virus incubation period, hence manifesting after some time.
