Investigating Challenges of Tuberculosis Prevention in Zambia Correctional Facilities: A Case of Mongu Correctional Facility.

Abstract

Tuberculosis is one the most feared and persistent diseases in the world. Global community, especially the first world has attempted to eradicate TB but to no avail. The TB epidemic has caused negative effects on political, social and economic frontiers, especially in Africa and Latin America. Being alive to viciousness of TB, Zambia adopted internationally accepted methods of combating TB including improvements in socio-economic factors, active identification of cases, effective treatment approaches, preventive measures like chemoprophylaxis, and vaccination programs. Nonetheless, the country continues to record cases of TB, especially in correctional facilities where more TB cases are recorded compared to the outside population. It is against this backdrop that the researcher thought to conduct a research on the challenges experienced by the Zambia Correctional Service in tuberculosis prevention using Mongu Correctional Facility in Western Province as a case study. A mixed method (qualitative & quantitative) research approach was adopted, using case study design. Data was collected through note taking and recording of discussions during single focus group discussions, field notes, and open ended and closed-ended questionnaires. Data was analysed using qualitative summary, content analysis and ATLAS.ti vision 8. The study unearthed that there was high prevalence of TB among inmates at Mongu Correctional Facility exacerbated by the absence of TB prevention measures. The finding was attributed to inadequate infrastructure that resulted in overcrowding among inmates, coupled with late detection and non-isolation of inmates suffering from TB. Consequently, the research recommended among others the expansion of infrastructure in correctional facilities and periodic screening of inmates. Inmates in Zambian correctional facilities remained at high risk of TB infections due to unconducive environment within the facilities. The lack of effective prevention measures against TB in correctional facilities underscored lack of priorities by authorities towards combating TB in the country. It is therefore, deduced and advanced that unless authorities doubled efforts in preventing TB by introducing preventive measures in correctional facilities the vision of reducing the disease burden by 2030 would not be realised.