6th Prison Health Conference Prison health systems: the interface with wider national health systems (2019)

Helsinki, Finland, 26–27 March 2019

The 6th Prison Health Conference was held on 26–27 March 2019 in Helsinki, Finland, co-hosted by the WHO Regional Office for Europe, Public Health England and the Government of Finland. The conference focused on the importance of continuity of care from prisons to the community. Prison can be a critical setting in a person’s life course in which unmet health needs can be identified and addressed. However, in order for health improvements achieved in prison to be maintained over the life course, continuity of care between prison and community health systems is vital. Efforts to improve public health and reduce health inequalities at the population level should be inclusive of prisons. The conference concluded that prisons are a vitally important setting to ensure that countries “leave no one behind” as part of their goals to realize Universal Health Coverage and achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.