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Auxilia Katongomara Chronicle Reporter
THE Ministry of Health and Child Care is installing a GeneXpert machine at Khami Maximum Prison laboratory as part of measures to fight tuberculosis in the country’s prisons, an official has said.Speaking at a belated National TB Day Commemorations held at Khami Prison on Thursday, Matabeleland North acting Provincial Medical director, Dr Tafadzwa Sibanda, said government was making frantic efforts to reduce the spread of the disease in prisons.

“Since the turn of the new millennium, the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS) prioritised reducing the burden of TB among inmates by also addressing other social determinants which contribute to this burden. That is why massive investments were made in health care facilities in all prison set ups. I’m glad to mention that a GeneXpert machine is in the process of being installed at Khami Maximum Prison laboratory,” said Dr Sibanda.

TB infection and related deaths are generally prevalent in prisons where prisoners are exposed to squalid and crowded conditions.

Dr Sibanda commended prison staff for their unwavering efforts in the fight against TB.

“Equally, the death rate as well as the number of people who fail to complete their TB treatment continues to decline in our prisons. It should be noted that the TB epidemic in Africa is largely driven by factors related to poverty and the negative effects of TB and HIV co-infection,” said Dr Sibanda.

She said in 2014 Khami Prison had 71 TB patients of whom 34 were HIV positive while in the first quarter of the year 21 patients tested positive for TB compared to 19 this year.

“Nationally, we are working towards reaching out to more and treating more so as to reach the national target of 87 percent by the end of year 2015,” said Dr Sibanda.

This year’s celebrations were held under the theme “Reach , Treat, Cure Everyone. Reach out to the missed cases”.

“Reaching these missed TB cases in our prisons will require government and development partners to increase and sustain financial commitments for TB control. This is vital to ensure that every inmate has access to TB prevention and treatment services in all 46 correctional institutions nationally,” said Dr Sibanda.

ZPCS Acting Officer Commanding Matabeleland region Assistant Commissioner Milosi Jomane said officers were committed to fighting the spread of TB among inmates.

“It’s true that a prison is one of those places where habitants are so close to each other such that when an outbreak of any communicable disease strikes, the rate of transmission is very high. However, in the event that such a disease is detected in prison, swift reaction is taken to quarantine those infected,” said Ass Comm Jomane.

The commemorations were attended by ZPCS staff , health personnel , inmates and several representatives from non-governmental organisations.

World TB Day is commemorated on March 24 yearly.