hepatitis c
Battling prison disease
By Judith Lavoie, Times Colonist
Drugs find their way into prisons, despite all efforts to plug supply lines. And for many inmates, the most dangerous part of life inside is sharing jury-rigged needles.
Lack of knowledge, misery and addictions combine in a sometimes lethal mix, but Canadian prisons do not permit distribution of clean needles -- meaning health risks soar for an already at-risk population.
Push on for prison syringe program
By EVA HOARE, The Chronicle HeraldWhen Raylene Elizabeth Nicole started doing time for assault at Springhill Institution, she was surprised the prison was rife with even more drugs than the one she had been incarcerated at in Ontario.
"At Springhill, it was like its own society," Ms. Nicole, then 39, said in a sworn affidavit to a national association collecting data on drug use by Canadian prisoners.
"There were even more drugs than there was at Kingston.
"I stuck to heroin at Springhill, where I snorted and injected it.
AIDS panel reiterates call for prison needle exchange
By Carol Sanders, Winnipeg Free PressWINNIPEG — The longer Parliament is on hold, the longer prison inmates are sharing dirty needles and diseases with the community at large, former prisoners and health advocates say.
The Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network was supposed to appear Tuesday before the Commons Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security calling for a needle exchange where inmates can trade dirty needles for clean ones.
"Prorogation swept us off the table," said spokesman Gilles Marchildon. "Every day we delay in taking a better approach is a day where more prisoners are contracting HIV and hepatitis C."
Needle-exchange programs 'necessary' for prisons: Report
By KATHLEEN HARRIS, Parliamentary BureauOTTAWA — Needle-exchange programs are a “pragmatic and necessary” way to stop the spread of deadly and financially draining diseases like HIV and hepatitis behind bars, according to a report to be released Tuesday.
The 42-page report from the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network, called “Under the Skin,” features testimonials from 50 federal and former inmates and aims to raise public awareness and rally support for needle and syringe programs in penitentiaries.
Report drawing on experience of inmates calls for needle exchange for prisons
By Helen Branswell Medical Reporter (CP)TORONTO — A new report calls for the establishment of needle and syringe distribution programs in Canada's prisons, warning the high rate of bloodborne infections in prisons is a public health issue that affects all of society.
The report, from the Canadian HIV-AIDS Legal Network, said there is evidence from other countries that the programs reduce transmission of diseases such as HIV and hepatitis C among inmates and do so without adding to levels of institutional violence.
"People in our communities currently have access to needle and syringe programs. Therefore, people in prison should have the same access to clean needles and syringes," the organization said.
Needle exchanges cut HIV rates
By: Scott Abrahams
A report released in Sydney shows needle and syringe programs have proven effective in reducing HIV and hepatitis C infections, with calls for further expansion of the scheme.
The report by the National Centre for HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research, Return on Investment 2: Evaluating the cost-effectiveness of needle and syringe programs in Australia, found free distribution of injecting equipment in high-risk communities has prevented more than 32,000 new cases of HIV infections and around 100,000 new hepatitis C infections since 2000.
Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations executive director Don Baxter said the report shows giving injecting drug users access to needle and syringe programs has had an overwhelmingly positive effect on slowing down HIV and hepatitis C infection rates.
The report by the National Centre for HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research, Return on Investment 2: Evaluating the cost-effectiveness of needle and syringe programs in Australia, found free distribution of injecting equipment in high-risk communities has prevented more than 32,000 new cases of HIV infections and around 100,000 new hepatitis C infections since 2000.
Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations executive director Don Baxter said the report shows giving injecting drug users access to needle and syringe programs has had an overwhelmingly positive effect on slowing down HIV and hepatitis C infection rates.
