Today marked another milestone in our partnership with the
Zambia Correctional services which are aimed at improving
the welfare of prisoners in Zambia.
With support from the U.S. Presidents Emegency Plan for
AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and the Center for Disease Control and
Prevention Partnership, CIDRZ was able to support ZCS to
build and refurbish its Clinic in Mazabuka.
“We noticed that Mazabuka Correctional Facility had
challenges with clinic space to attend to the health needs of
inmates. Sick inmates were often referred to either Ndeke
Clinic, 2 km away from the Correctional Facility or worse
still, Mazabuka which is a further distance away. This was
not addressing the needs of our inmates and surrounding
communities. This clinic is therefore part of the solution to
address the challenges that we identified as CIDRZ and
partners including the Mazabuka Community,” said Dr
Monde Muyoyeta, CIDRZ Director of TB programmes.
CIDRZ, through funding from the PEPFAR/CDC partnership
and other donors has so far supported eight Correctional
Facilities in implementing TB and HIV screening
programmes under the WHO’s 3 ‘I’s programme, i.e.
Intensified case finding, Improved infection control, and
scale-up of Isoniazid Preventive Therapy in individuals
infected with HIV.
CIDRZ has introduced a new TB diagnostic tool - the Gene
Xpert MTB/Rif - which can provide a TB diagnosis within two
hours with higher sensitivity than sputum smear
microscopy, the traditional method used at most health
centres.
Speaking during the same event, ZCS Commissioner
General, Mr Percy Chato thanked CIDRZ and its partners for
supporting ZCS in modernising and ensuring prisoners live
in a healthier environment.
“We believe in the Mandela Rules 24: The provision of health
care for prisoners is a State responsibility. Prisoners should
enjoy the same standards of health care that are available in
the community, and should have access to necessary health-
care services free of charge without discrimination on the
grounds of their legal status.
Health-care services should be organized in close
relationship to the general public health administration and
in a way that ensures continuity of treatment and care,
including for HIV, tuberculosis and other infectious diseases,
as well as for drug dependence,” Commissioner Chato
emphasised.
“Being in conflict with the law does not make you less
human,’ he adds.
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