Addressing The Health Needs Of Women In Prisons

UNODC Iran in collaboration with the Iranian Drug Control Headquarters organized a one-day consultative meeting on the health care services for women in prisons on 21 November 2018. The aim of the consultative meeting was to review HIV prevention, treatment and care programmes and the availability of services for in women in prisons by going through an action guide and checklists developed by WHO and UNODC, AVA diplomatic reports.

The meeting was facilitated by Dr Hamid Sharifi from the Kerman HIV Knowledge Hub. Senior officials and experts from the Ministry of Health, Prisons Organizations and State Welfare Organization and Drug Control Headquarters of Iran participated in the meeting.

In the opening of the session, Mr. Alexander Fedulov, UNODC Country Representative in Iran, extended his special thanks to the Iranian authorities for supporting joint events between the UNODC and the Drug Control Headquarters and he wished everyone a successful and pleasant meeting and hoped that the meeting would help for more targeted addressing of health needs of women in prison and upon their release from prisons.

Dr Mehrzad Tashakorian, Director General of Health and Treatment Department of the Iranian Prisons Organisation presented the achievements regarding HIV prevention, treatment and care in prisons for women such as the provision of counselling, Methadone Maintenance Therapy, private conjugational rooms and cultural and vocational activities for women prisoners and their care for their small children.

Dr Farid Barati Sedeh, Deputy Head of the Centre for Prevention and Treatment of Addiction of State Welfare Organisation (SWO), reviewed HIV prevention programmes and activities and stated that the SWO has an active role in the field of social and addiction issues. Finally, he proposed the readiness to collaborate with Prisons Organisations in addressing women’s needs by providing post-release support.

During the meeting, participants were allocated into smaller groups in order to review existing practices and programmes. The review included legislation, policies, physical state and location and the available facilities in prisons, registration, screening, assessment, treatment plan, services and commodities and health services together with coordination of prisons with health and welfare systems and coordination and preparatory planning for release and after care services. Towards the end of the workshop, the groups presented their findings, for summary and wrap-up.

The review was funded under the UNAIDS Unified Budget, Results and Accountability Framework channelled through the HIV/AIDS Unit of UNODC.