Thai Group Successfully Advocates for HIV Services for Women Prisoners in Chiang Mai

OSI’s Public Health Watch project supported the Thai AIDS Treatment Action Group (TTAG) to advocate for improved health and HIV services for women prisoners in Chiang Mai. As a result of this advocacy, prison health care workers now provide HIV treatment and care to all women prisoners living with HIV.

Thailand is internationally praised for its response to the AIDS epidemic, but socially marginalized groups are often left out of government programs. In northern Thailand, formerly or currently incarcerated women drug users are up to five times more likely to be HIV positive than male prisoners.

In 2009, TTAG began work with researchers from Chiang Mai University to assess the experiences of women prisoners in accessing health services. The group also launched a peer-based support program to provide women prisoners with health and safety information and psychosocial support, as well as to help women once they have been released from prison.

One of the key issues raised through the assessment and in the support group was the fact that undocumented and migrant women were often excluded from receiving HIV treatment and care. Other issues included the irregular availability of HIV treatment, medicine shortages, discrimination by prison guards, and lack of confidentiality for women living with HIV. TTAG worked with prison administrators, health care providers, and guards to address these issues and expand access to treatment.

In December 2009, TTAG presented its assessment and findings from its work with women prisoners to the Ministry of Public Health and prison and health officials. The Department of Disease Control recognized TTAG’s work as an innovative model and the government expressed interest in supporting TTAG to expand this work in other provinces in northern Thailand. In 2010, TTAG will present its research findings to all heads of prisons in northern Thailand and develop educational materials on HIV, TB, and Hepatitis C to be distributed to prisoners in the region.

TTAG continues its advocacy efforts on behalf of women prisoners. The group is developing a policy brief and publicizing its research to the scientific community. It plans to engage HIV activists and health professionals on the issue during the International AIDS Conference in Vienna, Austria in July, 2010.