By Glenroy Sinclair,
Staff Reporter
TWELVE MORE cases of HIV/AIDS have been discovered at the St. Catherine District Prison, following the recent screening of over 90 inmates at the institution.
Director of the National HIV/STD Control Programme, Dr. Yitades Gebre, who confirmed the report, said the Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the Correctional Services and South East Health Authority have been conducting investigations on the recent isolated cases of tuberculosis, leading to inmates being screened for possible HIV infection.
"It is a well established fact that there exists a higher risk of tuberculosis in individuals infected with HIV. In this regard the investigation also included voluntary HIV testing of the inmates. Among those tested 12 were positive for HIV infection," said Dr. Gebre.
Dr. Raymoth Notice, the former medical officer in charge of the St. Catherine District Prison, told The Gleaner yesterday that he was not aware of the results of the recent screening, but at the same time was not surprised.
Asked if he could give a tally of the total inmates infected with HIV up to the time he was leaving the St. Catherine District Prison, he said: "It is difficult to give a true figure, because when I was there (St. Catherine District Prison) tests were done on a voluntary basis only."
Reference was made to a test done in 1997 when 1,000 inmates at that institution were screened and 69 returned positive, plus another eight cases which had been detected before.
Responding to questions about measures to prevent a further spread of the disease among the prison population at the institution, Dr. Gebre said the current educational and prevention programmes in the correctional services will be reviewed and discussed by the Ministry of Health and authorities in the Correctional Services Department.
In 1997 there was a major controversy over a proposal by Commissioner of Corrections, Lt. Colonel John Prescod that condoms be made available to prisoners. Prisoners subsequently attacked other inmates accusing them of being homosexuals. Fourteen were killed at the General Penitentiary and two at the St. Catherine District Prison.
Dr. Gebre noted that HIV infection is often dormant for a long period, hence it is difficult at this time to establish the time or period of infection of these inmates.
"In Jamaica the most common mode of HIV transmission is through sexual exposure. Therefore, every effort has to be made to protect individuals from acquiring HIV infections with the entire society," said Dr. Gebre.
He also said that the overall prison population (inmates) is a very dynamic one and changing annually. Small sample surveys done in the past showed that inmates have three to four per cent higher risk of HIV infection than the general population. This is in keeping with international trends.
Asked if inmates are normally tested before they are incarcerated, he said: "HIV testing in Jamaica is conducted on a voluntary basis only. There is no policy whereby inmates are subjected to mandatory HIV testing. Mandatory HIV violates the human rights of an individual."
