DUSHANBE, April 21, 2010, Asia-Plus — The 3rd three-day Central Asian Forum on infectious diseases and drug use in prison settings has opened in Dushanbe today.
Organized by Tajik Ministry of Justice in cooperation with the AIDS Foundation East-West (AFEW) under financial support of Open Society Institute – Assistance Foundation Tajikistan, Central Asian Regional HIV/AIDS Project (CARHAP) and Central Asia AIDS Control Project (СААР), the forum entitled “Equal Opportunities” has brought together representatives of penal and healthcare departments, public organizations from Central Asia’s countries and international organizations that work with penal systems to discuss existing challenges and priorities of healthcare in prisons, quality and accessibility of medical and social services for inmates at all stages of detention and after release to provide equal opportunities and the right of prisoners for health, Dilshod Poulodov, manager of the AFEW projects in Tajikistan, said.
The goal of the Forum is to exchange practical experience, scientific data and information on effective measures to reduce the risks of development of infectious diseases in prison settings. The Forum is also meant to strengthen cooperation between government departments and public sector in Central Asian states.
At the end of the Forum participants will work out a resolution and recommendations for adoption of best practices in providing equal opportunities in the sphere of health protection and client management of prisoners.
The first Central Asian forum on infectious diseases and drug use in prison settings was held in Almaty, Kazakhstan in 2006 and the second one took place in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan in 2008.
