Provision of ARVs in prisons "a challenge"

The South African department of correctional services and the health department are discussing the provision of antiretroviral (ARV) treatment in the prison system. At present HIV-positive prisoners needing ARVs are driven to government-accredited treatment sites, where they join the queues. Gustav Wilson, HIV/AIDS director of correctional services, described the process of providing prisoners with treatment as "a challenge", and pointed out that driving inmates to drug rollout sites for ongoing CD4-count testing and drug provision created logistical and staffing problems. Wilson admitted that there were no statistics on HIV-prevalence in the prison system, but said the department was planning to conduct a survey among inmates and staff by the end of this year, with results expected by March 2006.