Response measures to COVID-19 in prisons and other detention centers
International Journal of Prisoner Health
ISSN: 1744-9200
Article publication date: 1 June 2021
Issue publication date: 18 October 2021
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to summarize activities being undertaken by the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Europe to prevent and control COVID-19 in and beyond prisons, activities specifically designed to increase information sharing and to support Member States, to comment on potential impacts of these initiatives at country-level responses and to underline the need for a rights-based approach to managing the pandemic, including the right to vaccination.
Design/methodology/approach
The Health in Prisons Programme (HIPP) of the WHO Regional Office for Europe worked with partner organizations to review regularly the evidence on best practices in prison health and use it to inform policy recommendations at the global level. HIPP issued overarching guidance and specific tools to support implementation of measures to prevent and control the spread of COVID-19 in prisons and other custodial settings. Moreover, to monitor the emergence of outbreaks, the HIPP developed a minimum data set for countries voluntarily to report COVID-19 cases and identify situations in need of direct support.
Findings
Since May 2020, the WHO has periodically received data from Member States, leading to the development of country-specific bulletins to support countries and, whenever appropriate, to organize virtual missions to further support ministries and public health bodies responsible for managing COVID-19 in prisons.
Originality/value
The development of a specific set of indicators for prisons enables exploring data in a disaggregated manner. Monitoring response measures developed in prison enables judging their appropriateness to minimize the spread of SARS-CoV2 in prisons and alignment with guidance issued by the WHO.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
Government of Finland. Disclaimer: CF-B is a staff member of the WHO, and all other authors are WHO consultants. The authors alone are responsible for the views expressed in this publication, and these do not necessarily represent the decisions or the stated policy of the World Health Organization. The authors acknowledge the contribution of the Partnership for Health in the Criminal Justice System to the work developed (www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/health-determinants/prisons-and-health/partners).Funding: WHO-HIPP thanks the continued support and donation from the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health Finland.
Citation
Alves da Costa, F., Neufeld, M., Hamad, M., Carlin, E. and Ferreira-Borges, C. (2021), "Response measures to COVID-19 in prisons and other detention centers", International Journal of Prisoner Health, Vol. 17 No. 3, pp. 351-358. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPH-10-2020-0080
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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