Prison Health

AFEW International and the members of AFEW Partnership work together with ministries of justice, prison health experts, inmates and local NGOs to strengthen local capacity and ensure that prisoners have the same access to information and services as those living outside prison walls. This policy is in line with the internationally accepted principles of the World Health Organization (WHO). Given the high rate of injecting drug use in the prisons in the region, this implies that AFEW also advocates for provision of needle exchange and opioid substitution therapy in prisons. Another major component of AFEW International and the members of AFEW Partnership ’s prison work is the introduction and upscaling of transitional client management. To ensure continuity of care for released prisoners, a system has been developed that prepares prisoners for release and guides them to medical and social assistance outside of prison.