Technical brief: Addressing HIV and TB in prisons, pre-trial detention and other closed settings

This technical brief describes how HIV and TB interventions for people in prison and other closed settings can be incorporated into funding requests to the Global Fund. The Global Fund supports evidence-and rights-based interventions aimed at ensuring access to HIV and TB prevention, treatment, care, and support for key populations, including people in prison.

Global Fund resources should be used to fund interventions that are in line with internationally agreed standards and technical guidance and have a significant impact on the HIV and TB epidemics in a country. Global Fund policy requires upper-middle income countries to focus 100% of their funding on programs benefiting key and vulnerable populations, lower middle income countries must demonstrate that 50% of funding is focused on the same. Low-income countries are also strongly encouraged to target resources to those at highest risk. Global Fund resources can also be used to advocate for laws and policies that enable an effective human-rights-based HIV and TB response and the removal of policies and laws that present obstacles to this.

HIV and TB are leading causes of morbidity and mortality in prisons, and a significant public health issue affecting all regions of the world. The UNAIDS Strategy 2016-2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Health Sector Strategy on HIV 2016-2021, and the WHO End TB strategy identify people in prison as a key population whose needs must be addressed to achieve the targets for ending AIDS and TB.