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18-22 November 2024 - Lilongwe and Lusaka - Last week, the UNODC HIV/AIDS Section organized two harm reduction capacity-building trainings for prison officials and healthcare providers in Malawi and Zambia. Both countries are adopting and piloting OAT (Opioid Agonist Treatment) sites in the community, and in this context, the prison authorities requested UNODC to train officials and healthcare providers within their facilities to initiate these programmes in alignment with community efforts and ensuring the continuity of care.
Each training session was attended by 35-40 participants representing all geographical regions in the two countries. Representatives from the Ministries of Health (MOH), National AIDS Commissions and UNAIDS Country Directors were also invited. Prison authorities in both Malawi and Zambia demonstrated strong commitment to introducing OAT in prison settings, which was reflected in the opening remarks delivered by the Commissioner Generals of both countries.
In Malawi, Commissioner Clement John Kainja emphasized the importance of providing healthcare services in prisons that are equivalent to those available in the community. Similarly, in Zambia, Mr. Fredrick S.S. Chilukutu, the Commissioner General of the Zambia Correctional Service, stressed the urgent need to introduce and expand harm reduction interventions in prisons, including OAT.
At the beginning of the training, both countries provided an overview of HIV services within their prison facilities, highlighting the challenges they face, the epidemiological situation, and service coverage.
The capacity-building workshop covered a wide range of thematic areas, including HIV prevention and harm reduction in line with international standards, such as the Nelson Mandela Rules. Facilitators also discussed the Comprehensive package of interventions in prisons and the importance of providing OAT services. They emphasized the need to adapt OAT tools to the national context and shared strategies for addressing potential challenges.
Additionally, the workshop addressed topics related to gender-based violence, mental health, women's health in prison, the prevention of vertical transmission of HIV, and the needs of key populations in prison settings, such as transgender individuals.
At the conclusion of the two-day workshop, participants were divided into five groups to engage in detailed discussions on specific thematic areas. These included policy development and strategies for effective harm reduction services in prisons; the implementation of harm reduction services within prison settings; the monitoring and evaluation of harm reduction programmes; the integration of prison services with community-based initiatives; and the role of civil society organizations and strategies for engagement.
