ASIA/CAMBODIA - Overcrowded prisons are breeding ground for TB and HIV

Phnom Penh (Agenzia Fides) – Tuberculosis and HIV rates in Cambodia's largest prison are roughly six and four times the respective national averages.
A screening of 1,783 inmates at the Prey Sar prison in Phnom Penh showed that 4% had TB, and 3% were HIV-positive. The World Health Organization and the local government report that Cambodia's general population has rates of 0.68 and 0.7 percent, respectively.
According to local sources, overcrowding in Cambodia's prisons has exacerbated this global problem. The country's 25 prisons have an official capacity of 8,000 inmates, but hold nearly 14,000 people, attended to by 96 health workers, he added. Since the beginning of 2010, seven prisons have gained healthcare facilities, but they are not yet fully staffed. (AP) (Agenzia Fides 04/10/2010)