UNODC's work in the area of HIV and AIDS primarily focuses on ensuring universal access to prevention, treatment, care, and support measures for people who use drugs or who live and/or work in prisons and other closed settings. In many countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as globally, the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in prisons exceeds that in the general community. In this context, UNODC aims to assist countries in ensuring that HIV treatments available in prisons meet or exceed the standards of those offered in the community.
As part of UNODC’s contributions in the region, the Latin America Prison HIV Observatory has been established. The Observatory specifically focuses on compiling and disseminating existing information on the subject, as well as promoting and channeling ongoing research towards developing effective and efficient responses to the HIV/AIDS issue in prisons.