Tackling health promotion in its most challenging setting

Tackling health promotion in its most challenging setting

Or do we ignore the ‘undeserving'?

At any one time, in most countries of the world, some of the most disadvantaged and vulnerable people in society are herded in prisons or other parts of the criminal justice system. Most have multiple and complex needs but are ill-equipped to cope without help. For many years, their health care and health promotion needs were of little concern to the managers of the facility in which they were compulsorily detained, to health professionals and to the public health movement. This position is slowly changing, due to the increased awareness of human rights and also to the growing acceptance that good prison health is good public health, certainly when faced with epidemics such as HIV/AIDS, drugs and alcohol abuse and mental ill health. Yet only in Europe is there a WHO led network to exchange experiences in tackling health promotion in the most challenging setting of prisons.

This session will hear about the broad and sustainable approach to health promotion being developed in 36 countries of Europe, what is being done in North America, will take smoking reduction as a case study in what can be done despite the problems of the setting and consider how best the influential health education and promotion movement could better exchange experience and best practice ideas as a support to the initiatives required throughout the world. Or does public health just ignore the needs of the ‘undeserving' in our societies?