Justice and Correctional Services Minister, Ronald Lamola, has in his written response to a question posed by DA Member of Parliament (MP), Werner Horn, on the Parliamentary Monitoring Group website in early June revealed there are 683 cases of tuberculosis alone in the country’s prisons, 41% of which are HIV positive as well. The picture painted by the statistics is one that indicates that while transmission may continue to persist in overcrowded prisons, there have been some strides made, as it is not as rampant as alleged. 

HIV and TB are inextricably linked and persistence thereof has increased the call for vulnerable prisoners to be released from overcrowded prisons during the coronavirus pandemic.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) indicates that people living with HIV and have a low CD4 count are much more susceptible to active TB infection than those that don’t. Thus far, Lamola’s statistics indicate that overall, 22 271 prisoners in the country are HIV positive. A tiny portion of these prisoners, 278 to be exact, have been diagnosed with TB as well.

Research indicates there is some concern regarding the exact number of active cases that are being captured. (Sources: Johnstone-Robertson, Simon & Lawn, Stephen & Welte, Alex & Bekker, Linda-Gail & Wood, Robin. (2011).)

According to Tuberculosis in a South African prison - a transmission modelling analysis in the South African medical journal/Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir geneeskunde. 101. 809-13, “improved passive case finding, modest ventilation increases or decreased lock-up time would minimally impact on transmission if introduced individually. However, active case finding together with implementation of minimum national and international standards of incarceration could reduce transmission by 50% and 94%, respectively”.

The Western Cape Health Department has released a presentation by Public Health Medicine Specialist and University of Cape Town (UCT) Professor, Mary-Ann Davies, on the risk people with chronic conditions have of dying from COVID-19. Her research based on the Western Cape’s cases indicates people with HIV and TB are less likely to die from the coronavirus, than those with diabetes and high blood pressure.

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