Prisons and health

All  2009  2010  2011  2012

• Are prisons in Europe healthy?
  27-02-2012
  Over 2 million people across the WHO European Region are in prison. Prisoners are at greater risk of HIV, tuberculosis, poor mental health and drug addiction than people outside. Three short films look at health in prisons in Azerbaijan, Denmark and Kyrgyzstan.
• Evaluation of opioid substitution therapy in prisons - Pilot study in Kyrgyzstan
  16-12-2011
  Results of a study on opioid substitution therapy in prisons indicates a consistent improvement of health and quality of life among therapy patients. In addition, there was a significant reduction of injecting risk behaviour in relation to transmission of HIV and other bloodborne viruses.
• "Womens health in prison: Action guidance and checklists to review current policies and practices" is now available in Russian
  14-12-2011
  The document "Womens health in prison: "Action guidance and checklists to review current policies and practices" is now available in Russian. The checklists in this document are an important tool in ensuring greater safety and better quality medical care for women in prison, and are designed to assist a review of current policies and practices relating to women’s health in prisons.
• WHO/Europe invited to present Alcohol and Prison health at annual meeting of American Public Health Association (APHA)
  27-10-2011
  The annual APHA meeting in Washington 29 October– 2 November attracts about 13,000 participants.
• Best practice awards to 18 European prisons
  04-10-2011
  At the Health in Prisons Programme network meeting on 4-5 October, 18 European prisons received an award for best practice which aims to share and support good practice in prison health across Europe.
• Women’s health in prison
  04-10-2011
  Women are paying a higher price in prison than men. WHO/Europe and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime have developed three checklists to ensure greater safety and better quality health care for these women.
• Management of prison health - a main topic of prisons network meeting
  29-09-2011
  The WHO Network on Prison and Health meet every year and share best practices on prison health. In addition, the 28 European Member States attending this years meeting on 4-5 October will discuss the issue of prison management and the responsibility for prison health – whether it makes a difference if the Ministry of Justice/Interior or the Ministry of Health is responsible and what are the benefits and challenges of the different systems.
• Imprisonment and women’s health: concerns about gender sensitivity, human rights and public health
  01-09-2011
  Imprisoned women have more and different health-care needs compared with male prisoners. Their needs are related to reproductive health issues, mental health problems, drug dependencies and histories of violence and abuse, and often their status as a mother and usually the primary carer for her children.
• WHO Network Meeting for Prison Health 2011
  12-08-2011
  The WHO Network Meeting for Prison Health will take place on 4-5 October 2011, in Abano Terme, Italy. The main aim of the meeting is to share information between the WHO Regional Office for Europe and its Member States on prison health issues and best practices in the Region.
• 2011 Best Practice Awards
  21-07-2011
  The WHO Collaborating Centre for Prison and Health in London organizes the Best Practice Awards, established to identify, acknowledge and disseminate best national practices concerning prison health among Member States. Only prisons and their partner organizations may apply through their National Counterpart.
• An editorial in the BMJ addresses “Health services for prisoners”. Where competent prison health services are provided, the health seeking behaviours of prisoners improve.
  28-02-2011
• Prison Staff and Harm Reduction: New training material available
  22-11-2010
  The training material is the main output of the EU-funded project “Training Criminal Justice Professionals (TCJP) in Harm Reduction Services for Vulnerable Groups” and has been launched on 5 November 2010
• Patient or Prisoner?Does it matter which Government Ministry is responsible for the health of prisoners?
  22-11-2010
• From prison health to public health
  01-11-2010
  Prisoners’ health is not only central to many aspects of prison life and management but also a key issue for public health. In Denmark, the prison system focuses on supporting and motivating prisoners.
• 2010 National Counterpart meeting on Prison Health, Copenhagen, Denmark
  29-07-2010
  14-16 October 2010 This year, the annual meeting for national Counterparts was organized on the premises of the WHO Regional Office for Europe in Copenhagen, Denmark. The aims of the meeting were to review the progress made over the past 15 years during which the WHO Regional Office for Europe has focused on prison health specifically and to facilitate detailed information exchange between the Regional Office, Member States and international partners.
• The Madrid recommendation
  28-05-2010
  The Madrid recommendation: health protection in prisons as an essential part of public health (all languages)  is now available for download.