[The Spanish experience: a comprehensive approach to HIV and HCV in prisons].

AIMS to measure the results of prevention, health promotion and damage reduction programs for the health of the prison population via the progress of a number of illnesses in these contexts. MATERIALS AND METHODS The information was taken from reports, bulletins, specifications, central records and other documents containing health information from 1993 to 2009 RESULTS: The prevalence of HIV has diminished 3.5 times and HCV has gone down by 50% in the last ten years. The rates of seroconversion within prisons have gone down by 85% in the case of HIV and by 71% for HCV. The incidence of tuberculosis and AIDS has decreased by 85% and 93.7% respectively. The number of users of damage reduction, methadone maintenance and syringe exchange programs has progressively increased to the point where the number of IDUs has begun to diminish, while the health mediators program has been implemented in practically all prisons. DISCUSSION In response to WHO criteria, a series of activities were set in motion in the 90s by prisons, which focused on improving the situation of the prison population, including illness prevention and control, and damage reduction and health promotion programs. These have significantly contributed to improving the health of a population that comes from what only can be regarded as a highly vulnerable situation outside prison.