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South African Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang has expressed concern over the high incidence of HIV infection in the country's prisons, especially among male inmates.
The minister said an investigation by the independent Jali Commission of Inquiry into human rights abuse in prisons had made disturbing revelations and painted a grim picture.
She was quoted by the South African Press Association as saying: "We know very well that the risk of HIV infection is high among men who have sex with other men. This is a situation that we, as the ANC-led government, cannot allow to continue unchecked."
The government had to deal with the challenge of overcrowding in prisons, she said, as it put inmates at greater risk of contracting infectious diseases.
This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions