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The government is being asked to agree to a medical trial to find out how many prisoners have been exposed to Hepatitis C.
An estimated 50,000 people in New Zealand have the disease, which is transmitted mainly through intravenous needles or badly sterilised medical equipment. Hepatitis C targets the liver, and can be fatal.
Little is known about its prevalence in the prison population, but figures from other countries such as the USA and Ireland suggest it could affect 40 to 50 percent of inmates.
No such studies have been carried out in New Zealand.
Read more…http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/333694/govt-asked-to-greenlight-prison-hep-c-testing