Prevalence of HIV, HepBsAg and Hep C antibodies among inmates in Chichiri prison, Blantyre, Malawi

Abstract

HIV prevalence rate (36.6 %) at the Chichiri Prison is higher than the national average of 14%, while female infection rates were higher than males. There are gaps in the inmates' knowledge of the epidemiology of HIV which need to be bridged through awareness programmes. Homosexuality and injecting drug use may not be a major factor in HIV transmission within prisons in Malawi. The low prevalence of Hepatitis BsAg (3.5%) and the inability to detect Hepatitis C antibodies deserve further study.