Zambian government is concerned over the as high as 27 percent HIV/AIDS prevalence rate in prisons of the country compared with the national rate of 16 percent, Minister of Home Affairs Bates Namuyamba said in Lusaka Monday.

The Minister described the pandemic as a double tragedy since both officers and inmates are at a higher risk.

During the official opening of a two-day workshop on promoting good health in the prisons of the southern African country, he blamed the high rate on some prisoners who engage in antisocial behaviors like sharing tattooing objects and using piercing instruments, which exposed them to the virus.

In a speech read for him by his deputy Justin Chilufya Namuyamba the minister said there is high possibility of some hard- nosed prisoners engaging in male-to-male sex despite being against the law.

Namuyamba however said the government has put up measures against the pandemic and improved the conditions in the prisons to acceptable standards in line with the international instruments and protocols.

He said the government is currently working on modalities on infrastructure development so as to address the problem of congestion in the prisons.

The minister said it is a government vision to bring about better health services in prisons.

Commissioner of Prisons Jethro Mumbuwa explained that evidence of high HIV prevalence in prisons is widely available because they are breeding grounds for infectious diseases.

He said in order to mitigate the problem, the Zambia Prison Service has put in place a permanent HIV/AIDS structure at all levels.

Source: Xinhua