Vientiane (Lao PDR), 9 April 2025 - Health in prisons is closely connected to the health of the wider society, as people in prison will eventually return to their communities. Drug-related offenses represent a large proportion of prison populations, further exacerbating the issue of overcrowded and under-resourced health systems in prisons. This is so especially as it relates to communicable diseases.
The global prison population has been increasing steadily, with currently 11.5 million people behind bars.
Globally, prisons are characterized by a relatively high prevalence of HIV, hepatitis B and C viruses and tuberculosis, as well as elevated risks of contracting such diseases. Several risk factors, such as overcrowding, poor ventilation, and diminished access to health services, exacerbate the already precarious health situation in the prisons.
Regions such as Southeast Asia face significant socio-economic and health challenges, particularly concerning drug use, drug economy, and the intersection of these issues with public health, including the spread of HIV and other related infectious diseases. Lao PDR, situated within the Golden Triangle faces multifaceted challenges stemming from its geographical location within a major drug-producing and trafficking region.
UNODC is supporting Lao PDR’s prison authority to address the high prevalence of communicable and non-communicable diseases and achieve a better cooperation with the public health system. The objective is to improve prison health services, and ultimately inmate well-being, by strengthening the capacity of medical workers with a focus on infectious diseases.
Recently, a batch of medical equipment including refrigerators, cool boxes, gloves, scales, and masks, was handed over to representatives of prison authorities. The donated items will be dispatched to six main detention centres across the country and will contribute to improving the health care provision for people in prison.
“We need to further strengthen this partnership, particularly in technical capacity building to enhance the skills of health care providers,” said Lieutenant Colonel Manilai, Deputy Director of the Department of Medical Care in Lao PDR, during the hand-over ceremony.
The equipment will ensure qualitative collection, storage and transport conditions of medical samples taken for faster and more effective management of infectious diseases.
"UNODC is deeply committed to supporting the efforts of Lao prison authorities to improve the health of people in prison and other closed settings. Today’s donation is a testament to our ongoing, long-term partnership and shared goals to offer the Lao people a better and safer place from drugs and crime,” said Sung Ho Hwang, Head of UNODC’s Office in Lao PDR.
Last year, with the support of Japan, UNODC organized a workshop focusing on prison health care bringing together for the first time representatives from the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Health While the discussions brought to light the different limitations in access to qualitative health care in prison settings, the level of involvement of the participants set a precedent for continued collaboration on prison healthcare initiatives.
Support to health care provision in prisons is part of UNODC’s Health programme in Lao PDR, which consists of awareness-raising, advocacy and capacity-building for officials on evidence-based interventions for drug use prevention and treatment. Other interventions are linked to assisting in expanding access by people who use drugs to community-based treatment and care services in more than 34 districts in seven provinces, as well as continuous mentoring and technical support to improve the quality of community-based services established in 2014 with the support of UNODC.
For the last 10 years, UNODC has worked closely with the government of Lao PDR to address the multifaceted nature of drug-related issues in the country through a holistic approach, supporting security, law enforcement, health, education, and civil society sectors to enhance the implementation of national and regional frameworks to effectively combat transnational organized crime and drug abuse.
Learn more about the work that UNODC does in Southeast Asia and the Pacific here.
