Epidemiology of HIV infection in penal system institutions

Aim. To assess the medical and statistical indicators of the health status of persons with the disease caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), among suspects, accused, and convicts held in institutions of the penal system. To develop proposals for improving work in the field of countering the spread of HIV infections. Materials and methods. The structure and dynamics of morbidity and mortality from HIV infection in penal institutions from 2014 to 2022 was analyzed using official statistical data. Calculations were carried out using MS Excel application packages and the R software environment version 3.6.2. Results. The peak HIV incidence in penal system institutions was recorded in 2015, followed by its gradual decrease by 2020. HIV mortality decreased by 52.1% since 2014, amounting to 84.6 per 100,000 people in 2022. The mortality rate of people living with HIV (PLHIV) decreased by 61.5% in 2014. This dynamics showed a decreasing trend starting from 2015. The antiretroviral therapy coverage in this group of patients reached a maximum value of 94.5% by 2022. Conclusions. The HIV mortality and mortality rates during the study period show a downward trend. The antiretroviral therapy coverage in 2022 reached a historic maximum. However, this does not exclude the low adherence of patients to treatment, which indicates the need to develop new methods of sanitary education and therapeutic and preventive work in penal system institutions.