Mr. Nelson Otwoma the Executive Director of NEPHAK talking to senior prison officials & other stakeholders on management of HIV & TB in prisons
Picture By KELIN/Regina Mwanza
Following KELIN’s Regional Capacity Building Workshop for senior law enforcement officers on HIV, human rights and the Law that took place on the 17-19 July 2013, the need to have a regional dialogue that would allow the police officers and prison officials to have open deliberations on the issues affecting each of their sectors in the context of HIV was recommended. It is from this background that KELIN in partnership with the Kenya Prisons Service with support from UNDP will carry out a high level breakfast meeting with senior prisons officers on the management of HIV and TB in prisons on 23 July, 2014 in Nairobi County.
The meeting will provide a platform for candid discussions for senior prison officials to discuss their role in preventing new HIV and TB infections and ensuring those infected are accessing treatment. It will also be an opportunity to enhance a common understanding of the challenges that exist and opportunities in promoting access to quality health care services in prisons.
KELIN hopes that the law enforcement officers shall take lead in championing for the promotion effective interventions that will mitigate new infections.
The key areas of focus during the meeting will be:
- The provisions for an effective, sustainable response to HIV and TB in prisons that is consistent with Constitutional and international human rights obligations
- Opportunities presented and interventions to address punitive laws, prohibitive policies and discriminative practices that hinder equal access to HIV and TB services for prisoners and persons in custody.
We hope that the engagement will increase the awareness levels of the senior prison officials on the role of law in dealing with the difficult issues posed by HIV and TB in the context of prison and a commitment from the prison officers on specific proposals to advance HIV and TB interventions that have worked in achieving the universal goal of zero new infections taking into account the various opportunities.
To contribute to the discussions during the forum, follow KELIN on our social media platforms for the latest updates
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