Health Access for Inmates of Prisons and Other Closes Settings

Health Access for Inmates of Prisons and Other Closed Settings

 

1. Project Subhiksha

Project Subhiksha, funded by Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF), UK, was initiated in October 2017, to roll out comprehensive HIV services in eleven states and Two Union Territories across the country and expanded coverage incrementally in coordination with National AIDS Control organization and State AIDS Control Societies involving key departments. The project is being implemented in Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Karnataka, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.

The People living in prisons and other closed settings are at an increased risk of HIV infection because of unsafe sexual and injecting drug practices, overcrowding and inadequate medical facilities. Recent national HIV surveillance (NACO, HSS Plus 2019) reported 2.1% HIV positivity among the prison population, which is significantly higher than the general population (0.22%) and other risk groups. Recognizing these risks, NACO categorized the inmates as High Risk Group and scaled up HIV interventions in prisons and OCS. Towards supporting the national program, with funding support from EJAF, SAATHII has scaled-up innovative and cost effective sustainable model of HIV services in 827 prisons and 346 OCS in 13 states and is contributing to the national goal of reaching 90-90-90. The project aims to work towards the well being of the inmates of prisons and OCS and the family members of the HIV Positive inmates through the following three objectives:

 Scale up HIV counselling and testing for 2,10,788 prisoners in 706 prisons across 12 high HIV prevalence states of India
 Scale up initiation of ART for 90% HIV positive prisoners in 12 states of India.
 Scale up initiation of care continuum services for 569 HIV positive prisoners and 853 family member

Key Accomplishments:

 Out of the 706 prisons in the operational states 676 and out of 264 Other Closed Settings 231 have been reached with services till the reporting period
 3.2 Lakh incarcerated inmates were made aware on the HIV/TB prevention and treatment services available for HIV and TB positive people
 2877 prison officials and 877 medical and para-medical staff providing health care services in prisons sensitised on the stigma free HIV/TB service delivery
 2403 prison inmates selected and trained as Peer Educators abd their services utilsied for awareness generation among priosn inmates, supporting health care providers in screening process and following up with positive inmates for treatment adherence
 Number of Service Facilities functioning in Prisons: 20 Link ART Centres, 186 Facility Integrated Counselling and Testing Centres (FICTC) and 201 DMC/Sputum Collection Centres.

Number of Inmates Counselled and tested for HIV

TB, STI, HBV and HCV and Follow up Services: