Assessing the impact of educational campaigns on controlling HCV among women in prison settings |
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Authors: | S. Mushayabasa C.P. BhunuRobert J. Smith? |
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Affiliation: | a Department of Applied Mathematics, Modelling Biomedical Systems Research Group, National University of Science and Technology, P.O. Box 939 Ascot, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe b University of Zimbabwe, Department of Mathematics, P.O. Box MP 167, Harare, Zimbabwe c Department of Mathematics and Faculty of Medicine, The University of Ottawa, 585 King Edward Ave., Ottawa, Canada ON K1N 6N5 |
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Abstract: | Prior studies have shown that imprisonment is a major risk factor for hepatitis C infection, with the risk of infection directly proportional to the length of incarceration. Women are at least twice as likely as men to contract HCV as they have limited access to information, health services and safe intravenous drug injecting equipments. We develop a mathematical model to assess the impact of educational campaigns on controlling HCV among women in prison settings. Equilibria for the model are determined and their stability are examined. Population-level effects of increased educational campaigns to encourage safe injecting practices among women in prison are evaluated through numerical simulations. The results suggest that educating women prisoners about abstaining from intravenous drug misuse may significantly reduce HCV prevalence among women in prison settings. Targeted education campaigns, which are effective at stopping transmission of HCV more than 80% of the time, will be highly effective at controlling the disease among women in prisons. |
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Keywords: | HCV Women prisoners Educational campaigns Reproductive number Sensitivity analysis |
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