Status of HIV and hepatitis C virus infections among prisoners in the Middle East and North Africa: review and synthesis.

INTRODUCTION: The status of HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections among incarcerated populations in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and the links between prisons and the HIV epidemic are poorly understood. This review synthesized available HIV and HCV data in prisons in MENA and highlighted opportunities for action. METHODS: The review was based on data generated through the systematic searches of the MENA HIV/AIDS Epidemiology Synthesis Project (2003 to December 15, 2015) and the MENA HCV Epidemiology Synthesis Project (2011 to December 15, 2015). Sources of data included peer-reviewed publications and country-level reports and databases. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: We estimated a population of 496,000 prisoners in MENA, with drug-related offences being a major cause for incarceration. Twenty countries had data on HIV among incarcerated populations with a median prevalence of 0.6% in Afghanistan, 6.1% in Djibouti, 0.01% in Egypt, 2.5% in Iran, 0% in Iraq, 0.1% in Jordan, 0.05% in Kuwait, 0.7% in Lebanon, 18.0% in Libya, 0.7% in Morocco, 0.3% in Oman, 1.1% in Pakistan, 0% in Palestine, 1.2% in Saudi Arabia, 0% in Somalia, 5.3% in Sudan and South Sudan, 0.04% in Syria, 0.05% in Tunisia, and 3.5% in Yemen. Seven countries had data on HCV, with a median prevalence of 1.7% in Afghanistan, 23.6% in Egypt, 28.1% in Lebanon, 15.6% in Pakistan, and 37.8% in Iran. Syria and Libya had only one HCV prevalence measure each at 1.5% and 23.7%, respectively. There was strong evidence for injecting drug use and the use of non-sterile injecting-equipment in prisons. Incarceration and injecting drugs, use of non-sterile injecting-equipment, and tattooing in prisons were found to be independent risk factors for HIV or HCV infections. High levels of sexual risk behaviour, tattooing and use of non-sterile razors among prisoners were documented. CONCLUSIONS: Prisons play an important role in HIV and HCV dynamics in MENA and have facilitated the emergence of large HIV epidemics in at least two countries, Iran and Pakistan. There is evidence for substantial but variable HIV and HCV prevalence, as well as risk behaviour including injecting drug use and unprotected sex among prisoners across countries. These findings highlight the need for comprehensive harm-reduction strategies in prisons

Application of Hilbert space methods to lie groups acting on a differentiable manifold /

Monitoring agency: Mathematics Division, Air Force Office of Scientific Research.Division File No. 1.14.Prepared for Project No. 47500.Prepared for contract No. AF18(600)-1109."ASTIA Doc. AD 115 046.""December 1956."Includes bibliographical references.Mode of access: Internet

Surface and environmental effects on ceramic materials /

Creep and recovery phenomena in sintered polycrystalline alumina have been studied. Effects of temperature and impurity content on creep behavior and the results of observation of polished and etched surfaces are discussed. The results are analyzed in terms of a tentative conventional mechanical analog.Includes bibliographical references (page 10).Creep and recovery phenomena in sintered polycrystalline alumina have been studied. Effects of temperature and impurity content on creep behavior and the results of observation of polished and etched surfaces are discussed. The results are analyzed in terms of a tentative conventional mechanical analog.Research supported by the United States Air Force, Air Research and Development Command, and performed by the University of Utah, Solid State Physics Department, under Materials Central Contract No.Mode of access: Internet

A dynamic digital delay generator for use in neutron chopper experiments /

"Project Agreement No. 2""September 15, 1960."Includes bibliographical references (page 4).Mode of access: Internet

Stress effects of noise in vertebrate animals /

"September 1959."Includes bibliographical references (pages 42-45).Investigatons reported were carried out by the Department of Zoology and Entomology and the Department of Physics of the The Pennsylvania State University under Aero Medical Laboratory Contract No.Mode of access: Internet.This bibliographic record is available under the Creative Commons CC0 "No Rights Reserved" license. The University of Florida Libraries, as creator of this bibliographic record, has waived all rights to it worldwide under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights, to the extent allowed by law