Prison warders dying despite AIDS awareness

The number of HIV/AIDS deaths among prison warders in the Kenyan port town of Homa Bay is alarming, according to prison commanding officer Rashid Powon. Since the beginning of the year AIDS-related illnesses have claimed the lives of six warders, while many others were affected by ailments suspected to be AIDS-related. "It is even more worrying that the victims are highly educated and trained young officers, in whom the government has invested heavily," Powon was quoted by a local newspaper, The Nation, as saying. Research showed that although HIV/AIDS awareness in the area was above 90 percent, deaths among prison officers continued to rise.