Kigali (ICRC) – A three-day regional seminar on health care in detention gets under way today in Kigali, organized by the ICRC. The seminar is an opportunity to make improvements in this area by promoting a better understanding of potential challenges and sharing experiences, success stories and best practices.
As Georges Paclisanu, head of the ICRC delegation in Rwanda, highlighted at the beginning of the seminar: 'The primary objective of assistance programmes in detention facilities is to monitor the health of detainees, save lives, and reduce morbidity and mortality rates as part of a wider public health approach.'
The seminar brings together 60 participants from the Rwanda Correctional Service (headquarters and prison staff), the Ministry of Internal Security (Health Coordination Unit), the Ministry of Health (technical department heads and directors of district hospitals), officials from four other countries in the region (Burundi, Cameroon, Gabon and Madagascar), international organizations and non-governmental organizations. They will discuss common challenges and best practices when it comes to managing their respective health-related issues and programmes. Drawing on lessons learnt, the aim is also to identify avenues to be explored regarding the general management of prison systems.
In his opening address at the seminar, the Commissioner General of the Rwanda Correctional Service paid tribute to the ICRC's substantial support in Rwandan prisons since 1994 and applauded the constructive working relationship between the ICRC and his institution.
Since 2004, as part of efforts to safeguard detainee welfare in penitentiary systems through effective and sustainable initiatives, the ICRC delegation in Kigali has focused on capacity building, particularly in the areas of water, sanitation, housing and health care. And since 2011, the ICRC has funded an annual national seminar on health care in prisons that brings together detention authorities from across Rwanda.
For further information, please contact:
Emmanuel Kagimbura, ICRC Kigali, tel: +250 78 830 05 09
