Imprisoned and imperiled: access to HIV and TB prevention and treatment, and denial of human rights, in Zambian prisons

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Although HIV and tuberculosis (TB) prevalence are high in prisons throughout sub-Saharan Africa, little research has been conducted on factors related to prevention, testing and treatment services.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>To better understand the relationship between prison conditions, the criminal justice system, and HIV and TB in Zambian prisons, we conducted a mixed-method study, including: facility assessments and in-depth interviews with 246 prisoners and 30 prison officers at six Zambian prisons; a review of Zambian legislation and policy governing prisons and the criminal justice system; and 46 key informant interviews with government and non-governmental organization officials and representatives of international agencies and donors.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The facility assessments, in-depth interviews and key informant interviews found serious barriers to HIV and TB prevention and treatment, and extended pre-trial detention that contributed to overcrowded conditions. Disparities both between prisons and among different categories of prisoners within prisons were noted, with juveniles, women, pre-trial detainees and immigration detainees significantly less likely to access health services.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Current conditions and the lack of available medical care in Zambia's prisons violate human rights protections and threaten prisoners' health. In order to protect the health of prisoners, prison-based health services, linkages to community-based health care, general prison conditions and failures of the criminal justice system that exacerbate overcrowding must be immediately improved. International donors should work with the Zambian government to support prison and justice system reform and ensure that their provision of funding in such areas as health services respect human rights standards, including non-discrimination. Human rights protections against torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, and criminal justice system rights, are essential to curbing the spread of HIV and TB in Zambian prisons, and to achieving broader goals to reduce HIV and TB in Zambia.</p

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Particulate Matter Health Effects Research Centers Program: a midcourse report of status, progress, and plans.

In 1998 Congress mandated expanded U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) health effects research on ambient air particulate matter (PM) and a National Research Council (NRC) committee to provide research oversight. The U.S. EPA currently supports intramural and extramural PM research, including five academically based PM centers. The PM centers in their first 2.5 years have initiated research directed at critical issues identified by the NRC committee, including collaborative activities, and sponsored scientific workshops in key research areas. Through these activities, there is a better understanding of PM health effects and scientific uncertainties. Future PM centers research will focus on long-term effects associated with chronic PM exposures. This report provides a synopsis of accomplishments to date, short-term goals (during the next 2.5 years) and longer-term goals. It consists of six sections: biological mechanisms, acute effects, chronic effects, dosimetry, exposure assessment, and the specific attributes of a coordinated PM centers program

The Significance and Implications of Being a Subprime Homeowner in the UK

The purpose of this paper is to provide a deeper understanding of the significance and implications of being a subprime homeowner in the UK. The results indicate that subprime individuals represent a mixture of socioeconomic groups, predominantly included in the light adverse and near prime categories of subprime lending, for whom credit adversity is generally a temporary phenomenon, which is likely to represent a transitory event in their lives. These borrowers have been at the heart of the UK subprime mortgage market, actively targeted not only by specialist lenders but also, more crucially, by mainstream players. Whereas for some individuals this market has provided an opportunity to experience the emotional and financial aspects of homeownership positively; for others becoming a subprime mortgage holder has increased the difficulties in their lives, affected their financial capability, and worsened their standards of living. Thus, the impact of the risk reward mechanisms of subprime products has proved to be a difficult reality for certain socioeconomic groups. Furthermore, given the progressive deterioration in the transparency of the financial services industry, a significant proportion of subprime individuals has, unsurprisingly, struggled to appreciate the reasons why they faced problems in obtaining credit or a mortgage

Influences of urban characteristics on cycling: Experiences of four cities

Cycling level was investigated for four cities with similar land area namely, Beijing, Berlin, Canberra and Singapore. Four characteristics namely, urban structure, transport policy, public transport service and cycling infrastructure, as affecting cycling activities in urban areas were compared. A cycling line was devised and used to position and compare each city by the stages of cycling level. Cycling level in Berlin is comparatively high and remains on an increasing trend which is at the promising stage. Recommendations are given for the other three cities (Beijing, Canberra and Singapore) that could improve cycling level