Malawi’s Prisons Service is grappling with significant health challenges, such as HIV/AIDS, drug use, and drug use disorders among the incarcerated population. The training was timely, offering a critical opportunity to shift the trajectory of health outcomes for key populations within prisons, including people who inject drugs (PWIDs), men who have sex with men (MSMs), people living with HIV, women who use drugs, transgender individuals, and other members of the LGBTQIAP+ community.
The training, led by Gunasekaran Rengaswamy, Regional Adviser on HIV/AIDS Prevention and Care for Southern Africa, and Ehab Salah, Adviser on Prisons and HIV based in Vienna, focused on key harm reduction strategies, including Opioid Agonist Therapy (OAT), Needle and Syringe Programs (NSP), and overdose prevention measures such as Naloxone and Naltrexone. In addition, the training highlighted the importance of international standards, such as the Nelson Mandela Rules and the Bangkok Rules, which advocate for the protection of prisoners' rights and their right to health.
Over the two days, delegates engaged in robust discussions about the urgent need for harm reduction interventions, not only in correctional facilities but across the broader Malawian prison system. Correctional officials expressed a strong commitment to learning more about harm reduction and prioritizing its integration into prison policies and practices.
This training marks a pivotal moment in advancing the health and human rights of prisoners in Malawi, fostering a more compassionate and evidence-based approach to managing drug use and its associated challenges within the prison system.
