Convicts in Zaporizhzhia to be helped to defeat tuberculosis

According to estimates by community workers, only 10% of those released from places of detention in Zaporizhzhia who require tuberculosis treatment visit the city’s anti-tuberculosis hospitals. To improve the situation, civic activists visited the Sofiivska Penal Colony No. 55, where tuberculosis treatment for convicts is carried out.

Despite the decline in the rate of tuberculosis spread in Zaporizhzhia, this disease remains an urgent problem for the city and the region. Among the many reasons complicating the resolution of this problem, the lack of adherence and a responsible attitude towards treatment on the part of patients occupies a significant place. The highest percentage of those who do not complete the full course of treatment is observed among persons who have problems with alcohol or drug use, or who have been released from places of detention. Most often, these factors are interconnected. To help such people complete the full course of treatment, activists of the All-Ukrainian Penitentiary Network decided to conduct relevant work among convicts who have begun and are undergoing treatment while serving their sentences.

To this end, specialists from the organization visited the Sofiivska Penal Colony No. 55, where tuberculosis treatment is provided to those staying in penitentiary institutions. During the visit, community workers initiated support groups for convicts, where problems hindering the completion of the full course of treatment after release will be discussed and, if possible, resolved. The first group session involved 11 people who gave positive feedback on this initiative by the community workers. Such groups are planned to be held on an ongoing basis, which will allow not only for psycho-emotional support and information provision, but also for the social support of convicts after their release.