DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONAL SERVICES

Siyayinqoba Beat It! 2005 Episode 17 - Prisons and HIV

There are about 160 000 people in South Africa's prisons. Current estimates are that over half of South Africa's prison population is HIV positive. Yet condoms are not easily available in prisons and the Department of Correctional Services does not offer antiretroviral (ARV) treatment. The Siyayinqoba team asked: What effect does this have on the rate of HIV infection inside and outside prison? What about the right of prison inmates living with HIV and AIDS to receive the treatment they need?

Siyayinqoba Beat It! 2006 Episode 18 - ARV treatment sites

In this weeks episode of Siyayinqoba Beat It! 2006 we are talking about how the slow process of accrediting ARV treatment sites is causing problems for people accessing ARVs, we speak to James Nonnies about the death of his son Msimelelo due to poor access to ARVs, we also speak to HIV positive inmate Sifiso Zulu about accessing ARVs at Westville prison in Durban. Fatima Hassan from the Joint Civil Society Monitoring Forum joins our support group to talk about the problems facing sites wanting to become accredited.

Access to ARVs, Westville Prison - Sifiso Zulu, Sipho Mthati, Zackie Achmat, the Treatment Action Campaign.

The TAC is joined by ex-Westville Prison inmates to talk about the problems facing HIV positive prisoners in accessing treatment. Sifiso talks about how you are not allowed to be tested for HIV unless you are bedridden and how inmates went on a hunger strike to attract attention to the plight of HIV positive inmates. Sipho Mthati talks about how what the Department of Correctional Services is doing is unconstitutional.