HIV, prisoners, and human rights

Rubenstein, Leonard S.; Amon, Joseph J; McLemore, Megan; Eba, Patrick; Dolan, Kate; Lines, Rick; Beyrer, Chris

doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(16)30663-8

Cited by 75 publications

(61 citation statements)

References 60 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Ethnic minorities, migrants, poor people, foreigners, and socially marginalised populations such as sex workers, people who use drugs, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) indivi duals, and on-remand detainees could be at increased risk of abuse, poor conditions, or lack of access to care. 6,16 Women and juvenile detainees, who have increased and distinct health needs, constitute 5% or less of the prison population in most countries, but often have poorer access to high-quality health care than do male detainees (panel 3). 18,19 …”

Section: Prison Populations In Sub-saharan Africamentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

HIV and tuberculosis in prisons in sub-Saharan Africa

et al. 2016

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Given the dual epidemics of HIV and tuberculosis in sub-Saharan Africa and evidence suggesting a disproportionate burden of these diseases among detainees in the region, we aimed to investigate the epidemiology of HIV and tuberculosis in prison populations, describe services available and challenges to service delivery, and identify priority areas for programmatically relevant research in sub-Saharan African prisons. To this end, we reviewed literature on HIV and tuberculosis in sub-Saharan African prisons published between 2011 and 2015, and identified data from only 24 of the 49 countries in the region. Where data were available, they were frequently of poor quality and rarely nationally representative. Prevalence of HIV infection ranged from 2.3% to 34.9%, and of tuberculosis from 0.4 to 16.3%; detainees nearly always had a higher prevalence of both diseases than did the non-incarcerated population in the same country. We identified barriers to prevention, treatment, and care services in published work and through five case studies of prison health policies and services in Zambia, South Africa, Malawi, Nigeria, and Benin. These barriers included severe financial and human-resource limitations and fragmented referral systems that prevent continuity of care when detainees cycle into and out of prison, or move between prisons. These challenges are set against the backdrop of weak health and criminal-justice systems, high rates of pre-trial detention, and overcrowding. A few examples of promising practices exist, including routine voluntary testing for HIV and screening for tuberculosis upon entry to South African and the largest Zambian prisons, reforms to pre-trial detention in South Africa, integration of mental health services into a health package in selected Malawian prisons, and task sharing to include detainees in care provision through peer-educator programmes in Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and South Africa. However, substantial additional investments are required throughout sub-Saharan Africa to develop country-level policy guidance, build human-resource capacity, and strengthen prison health systems to ensure universal access to HIV and tuberculsosis prevention, treatment, and care of a standard that meets international goals and human rights obligations.

show abstract

Section: Prison Populations In Sub-saharan Africamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…4,5 Although in carceration necessarily restricts liberty, detainees have a right to a minimum standard of health care at least equivalent to that in the community, 6,7 including effective services along the entire continuum of HIV and tuberculosis prevention, treatment, and care.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

HIV and tuberculosis in prisons in sub-Saharan Africa

et al. 2016

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The 164 countries that are party to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights should guarantee minimum core obligations with respect to the right to health, including the provision of essential primary care and medicines. 3 States should also pledge non-discriminatory access to health care and the equitable distribution of health facilities and services. 105 Infectious disease control is also crucial to protect both prisoners and staff, and to prevent disease outbreaks; a summary of HIV, viral hepatitis, and tuberculosis prevention strategies for prison settings is provided in panel 5.…”

Section: Implications For Public Health Of Non-incarcerated Communitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…2 Before incarceration, members of these marginalised populations tend to have little access to health-care resources, which results in sub-optimal health outcomes. 3 During incarceration, few prisoners worldwide have consistent access to internationally recommended strategies 4 to reduce the risk of transmission of HIV or other infectious diseases, including voluntary HIV testing, antiretroviral therapy (ART), sterile syringes, condoms, and opioid agonist therapies such as methadone or buprenorphine. 5 Because of a culmination of these factors, HIV, hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), and tuberculosis are particularly concentrated in prisons, and each independently and synergistically contributes to preventable morbidity and mortality in individuals and communities.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Clinical care of incarcerated people with HIV, viral hepatitis, or tuberculosis

et al. 2016

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The burden of HIV/AIDS and other transmissible diseases is higher in prison and jail settings than in the non-incarcerated communities that surround them. In this comprehensive review, we discuss available literature on the topic of clinical management of people infected with HIV, hepatitis B and C viruses, and tuberculosis in incarcerated settings in addition to co-occurrence of one or more of these infections. Methods such as screening practices and provision of treatment during detainment periods are reviewed to identify the effect of community-based treatment when returning inmates into the general population. Where data are available, we describe differences in the provision of medical care in the prison and jail settings of low-income and middle-income countries compared with high-income countries. Structural barriers impede the optimal delivery of clinical care for prisoners, and substance use, mental illness, and infectious disease further complicate the delivery of care. For prison health care to reach the standards of community-based health care, political will and financial investment are required from governmental, medical, and humanitarian organisations worldwide. In this review, we highlight challenges, gaps in knowledge, and priorities for future research to improve health-care in institutions for prisoners.

show abstract

“…In both drug detention centres and prisons, human rights law is clear that while detainees may suffer restrictions on their liberty, they retain their right to health and other rights. The UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, revised in 2015 as the Mandela Rules, reiterate these obligations . States and donors should recognize that as nearly all detainees are released and return to their communities, the lack of investment and attention to the human rights of this population undermines the progress achieved outside of detention settings.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%