HIV/AIDS prevalence in Nigerian prisons far higher than nation average

HIV/AIDS prevalence rate in Nigeria's prisons has reached 8.2 percent, far higher than the nation's average, Deputy Controller of Prisons of Nigeria Stella Orisakwe said here on Thursday.

On behalf of Nigerian Prison Service HIV and AIDS Critical Mass Committee Chairman Olusola Ogundepe, Orisakwe said at a workshop entitled "HIV/AIDS at Workplace" in the capital Abuja that the figure was shown in a survey conducted at the ministry, immigration and prison services since 2001.

He said the figure was pretty higher than the nation's average prevalence rate of 5.8 percent, adding that the Federal Ministry of Internal Affairs had set up three HIV and AIDS programs to cater for the three parastatal bodies under the ministry.

Permanent Secretary of the ministry Rafiq Ogunbambi said the ministry had established HIV/AIDS committees in all its state offices to reduce the prevalence of the pandemic.

Ogunbambi observed that people within the productive age of 15 years and 49 years and who were most sexually active were adversely affected by the scourge.

He observed with delight that the scourge first reported in the country in 1986 had dropped from more than 10 percent to 5.8 percent at present.

Source: Xinhua