Status report on prison health in the WHO European Region (2019)

2019, xv + 79 pages
ISBN 978 92 890 5458 4
This publication is only available online.

This report presents an analysis of data collected on the health status of people in prison and prison health systems for 39 countries in the WHO European Region. The Health in Prisons European Database (HIPED) survey collected data from Member States between 2016 and 2017 to enable monitoring and surveillance of health in prisons. The aim of this report is to provide an indication of the current status of prison health in the European Region and highlight areas of prison health policy that should better be aligned to WHO guidance. The report presents data and recommendations under the following headings: prison population statistics, prison health-care systems, prison environment, risk factors for ill health, disease screening on admission, prevention of infection, treatment and mortality. These data, alongside WHO guidance on health in prison, will help to inform and influence policy-makers to improve the health outcomes of people in prison.