The 1st African Conference on Health in Detention

  Theme: Making the difference: African solutions to improving health in detention

Background 

This conference aims to provide a platform for health professionals and management working in detention settings in African countries to take stock of and share experience on effective prison health policies and practices, and the lessons learnt, to promote a whole-of-government approach to health in detention, and to mutually foster respect for pertinent international law and standards.

The conference will bring together a range of practitioners and managers from African countries, including those from government ministries responsible for prisons and prison health, officials from health ministries or departments, public health experts, representatives from international organizations and researchers.

The conference is organized by the ICRC and co-hosted by Kenya State Department for Correctional Services, in partnership with the Ministry of Health of Kenya, Kenya Red Cross, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, African Correctional Services Association (ACSA) and the International Corrections and Prisons Association (ICPA).

Objectives 

• Foster respect for international law – both international humanitarian law and international human rights law – and standards pertaining to health in detention
• Promote a whole-of-government approach to health in detention
• Improve the health outcomes of people deprived of their liberty by strengthening health systems in detention
• Build on existing good policies and practices in and outside of Africa to bolster responses to infectious and non-communicable diseases and to health emergencies in detention
• Showcase key achievements attained across the African continent since the First World Conference on Health in Detention in 2022, identify gaps in the implementation of that conference's recommendations and adopt measures to make further progress

 Topics 

• Prioritizing the integration of international laws and standards on detention and health in national and regional policies while putting people deprived of their liberty at the centre
• Working towards stronger health systems in detention, integrated approaches and partnership
• Where we are on infectious and non-communicable diseases and what can be done to make a difference on the African continent
• Preparing for future health-security hazards, including climate change, food insecurity and emergencies in detention
• Health in detention in conflict environments
• Health determinants in health protection
• New technologies and innovations to improve health in detention

 Partners

• Ministry of Health of Kenya
• Kenya Red Cross Society
• Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention
• African Correctional Services Association
• International Corrections and Prisons Association

concept_note_1st_african_conference_on_health_care_in_detention_english.pdf

concept_note_1st_african_conference_on_health_care_in_detention_french.pdf