Workshop on HIV Related Issues for Medical Staff of Penalty System in Uzbekistan  

Each year over 30 million men and women globally spend time in prisons and other closed settings, of whom over one third are pretrial detainees. Virtually all of them will return to their communities. Globally, the prevalence of HIV, sexually transmitted infections, hepatitis B and C and tuberculosis in prison populations is 2 to 10 times as high, and in some cases, may be up to 50 times as high, as in the general population. HIV rates are particularly high among women in detention. Risks affect prisoners, those working in prisons, their families and the entire community. For these reasons, it is essential to provide HIV interventions in these settings, both for prisoners and for those employed by prison.

On 13-14 July 2018, for the first time, UNODC conducted a workshop on HIV for the staff of the penitentiary system (Main Penitentiary Department/Ministry of Interior) of Uzbekistan. The event was organized together with the National AIDS Center to provide evidence based information on HIV prevention, treatment and care with focus on people who inject drugs (PWID); intentional and national standards, HIV/TB, HIV/Hepatitis; human rights approach and principle of equivalence of health in prisons. More than 40 specialists from all regions of the country and republican level received appropriate knowledge and skills on the problem and discussed it at professional level.

While the role of the law-enforcement officials in many public health issues of many countries is recognized and understood, the law enforcement agencies have not been sufficiently integrated into national plans and policies for HIV prevention, treatment, care and support. During the workshop, the participants discussed the influence of the culture, operational policies and practices of law enforcement agencies on the course of an HIV epidemic, especially about population at risk for HIV infection.

"Law-enforcement officials, like all professionals, should be aware of the health and welfare implications of their actions at the individual and community levels." - said Alimjan Matchanov, Police Academy.

HIV Education component for law-enforcement agencies is implemented by the UNODC Regional Office for Central Asia (ROCA) within the framework of UBRAF (UNAIDS Unified Budget, Results and Accountability Framework). 

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For more information please contact:

Dr. Nazokat Kasymova, National Project Officer 

UNODC/ROCA

30a, Abdulla Kahhar Street
Tashkent 700100, Uzbekistan
Tel.: +998 71 120 80 50
Fax: +998 71 120 62 90