Question : HIV AIDS AMONG PRISONERS

(a) whether attention of the Government has been drawn to certain studies which have found high prevalence of HIV among the prisoners in India;

(b) if so, the details thereof along with the facts in this regard;

(c) the estimated number of prisoners suffering from HIV/AIDS in the country;

(d) whether the Government proposes to launch any programme to tackle the menace of rising number of cases of HIV among the prisoners in the country;and

(e) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI S.GANDHISELVAN)

(a) to (c): National AIDS Control Programme doesn’t generate data on estimated number of prisoners suffering from HIV/AIDS in the country. However, a paper in Indian J Med Res 132, December 2010, pp 696-700 highlighted HIV prevalence in prisons. The paper mentions inter alia

“No recent HIV prevalence data were identified; existing data were from the mid-to-late 1990s. One national study of HIV prevalence in prisons found that 1.7 per cent of male and 9.5 per cent of female inmates were HIV positive. In other studies HIV prevalence in individual prisons ranged from 0.5 to 6.9 per cent. Eighteen of 27 inmates who died at Arthur Road Jail, Mumbai, in a six month period were HIV positive. No information on HIV transmission in Indian prisons was found”.

(i) HIV counseling and testing services for prison inmates is provided under the programme through either establishing ICTCs (Stand alone or Facility Integrated ICTC) in prisons of providing services through the nearest government health facility. List of ICTCs in prison is annexed.

(ii) There are training programme under National AIDS Control Programme for prisoners and jail inmates through State AIDS Control Society (SACS). Overall 6,450 prisoners and jail inmates were trained during April 2011 to September 2012.

(iii) There are no Targeted Interventions in prisons under National AIDS Control Programme. 3 UNODC projects in collaboration with Prison Administration and NGOs is implementing intervention in Tihar Jail (Delhi), Sajjawa Central Priosn (Manipur) and Aizwal Central Prison (Mizoram). Opioid Substitution Therapy though is being provided only in Tihar Jail (Delhi).