The role played by prison officers in ensuring ART adherence on prison inmates who are HIV/AIDS infected (KweKwe Central and Conemara Prisons)

Date
2014-04
Authors
Tlou, Keeteretsi
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: HIV/AIDS has severely impacted the Sub-Sahara region and Zimbabwe has been not spared of such an impact. There is high infection and mortality rates due to the impact of this disease. Prison centers within the Sub-Sahara region attract high HIV prevalence and mortality rates. This is also true in Zimbabwe prisons centers where the impact proportion is higher than that of the general population. Living with HIV/AIDS does not mean a death sentence, but ARTs have a lease of life that they have subsequently reduced the mortality rate and subsequent improvement of health. Reducing the impact of the epidemic within prison environment, where the role played by prison officers to ensure ART adherence by prison inmates living with HIV/AIDS was explored in this study. Various tools which help ensure adherence to ARTs were explored and placed in context. Questionnaires were administered; data evaluated and analyzed produced recommendations on how best ART adherence can be improved throughout the prison centre environments. Assurance of ART adherence subsequently results in viral load suppression, improvement of health and prolonging of life of those living with HIV/AIDS. Prison health staff was the only referral personnel who are handling ART adherence during day working hours and in the evening turning off of lights is used as the reminder. The rest of prison staff are out of the picture when it comes to ensuring ART adherence. It is imperative to note HIV/AIDS responsibility and taking care of prisoners living with it is all our responsibility. There is a stipulation on taking care of prisoners living with HIV/AIDS by prison staff and allocation of additional resources to the prison services to improve the quality of prison care in the National HIV/AIDS Policy, Zimbabwe (1999).Failure to adhere to respective medication among others result in drug resistance, worsening of health conditions, shortening of life and change of regimens which ultimately increase expenses to the Government providing them free of charge. There should be a proactive approach of ensuring ART adherence within prison environments. It can only be made possible by tailor made tools suitable for prison centers which aid ART adherence. These can be made to suit a targeted environment, easy to procure and apply but ensuring maximum taking of ARTs as per stipulated time intervals. Prison centers are strategic in contributing towards health rehabilitative roles on prisoners living with HIV/AIDS.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: MIV / vigs het erg geraak die Sub-Sahara-streek en Zimbabwe het nie gespaar van so 'n impak. Daar is 'n hoë-infeksie en die sterftesyfer as gevolg van die impak van die siekte. Gevangenis sentrums binne die Sub-Sahara-streek lok hoë voorkoms van MIV en sterftesyfers. Dit is ook waar in Zimbabwe tronke sentrums waar die impak verhouding is hoër as dié van die algemene bevolking. Wat met MIV / vigs, beteken nie 'n doodsvonnis nie, maar kunste het 'n huurkontrak van die lewe wat hulle dan verminder die sterftesyfer en daaropvolgende verbetering van gesondheid. Die vermindering van die impak van die epidemie in die tronk-omgewing, waar die rol van die gevangenis beamptes ART nakoming deur gevangenes wat met MIV / vigs te verseker is in hierdie studie ondersoek. Verskeie gereedskap wat help om die nakoming verseker kunste, is ondersoek en in konteks geplaas. Vraelyste is voltooi; data geëvalueer en ontleed wat aanbevelings oor hoe om die beste ART nakoming regdeur verbeter kan word die gevangenis sentrum omgewings. Versekering van ARB handhawing later lei tot virale lading onderdrukking, die verbetering van gesondheid en verlenging van die lewe van diegene wat met MIV / vigs. Gevangenis gesondheid personeel was die enigste verwysing personeel wat die hantering van ART nakoming gedurende die dag werksure en in die aand aanskakel van ligte word gebruik as die herinnering. Die res van die gevangenis personeel is uit die prentjie wanneer dit kom by die versekering van ARB handhawing. Dit is noodsaaklik MIV / vigs verantwoordelikheid om daarop te let en die versorging van gevangenes wat met dit al ons verantwoordelikheid. Daar is 'n bepaling oor die versorging van gevangenes wat met MIV / vigs by die gevangenis personeel en die toekenning van bykomende hulpbronne aan die gevangenis van die kwaliteit van die gevangenis sorg te verbeter in die Nasionale MIV / vigs-beleid, Zimbabwe (1999). Versuim om te voldoen aan onderskeie medikasie onder andere lei tot weerstand teen die medikasie, verslegtende gesondheid voorwaardes, smeer van die lewe en verandering van regimens wat uiteindelik verhoog uitgawes te die Regering hulle te voorsien gratis. Daar moet 'n pro-aktiewe benadering te verseker ARB handhawing binne die gevangenis omgewings. Dit kan net moontlik gemaak word deur die maat gereedskap geskik vir die tronk sentrums wat hulp ARB handhawing. Dit kan gedoen word om 'n geteikende omgewing, maklik om te verkry en toe te pas aan te pas, maar verseker maksimum neem van kuns soos per vasgestelde tyd intervalle. Gevangenis sentrums is strategiese in te dra tot gesondheid rehabilitatiewe rolle op gevangenes wat met MIV / vigs.
Description
Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2014.
Keywords
Dissertations -- HIV/AIDS management, Theses -- HIV/AIDS management, Dissertations -- Industrial psychology, Theses -- Industrial psychology, HIV infections -- Treatment -- Zimbabwe, Patient compliance -- Zimbabwe, Correctional personnel -- Zimbabwe, Prisoners -- health and hygiene -- Zimbabwe, UCTD
Citation