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ECECACD at the 68 th Session of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND)

Eastern and Central European and Central Asian Commission on Drug Policy hosted a side event at the 68th Session of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs. 

The new report “The intersection of health, drug use, and imprisonment in EECA” was launched on March 14.

Countries in EECA exhibit some of the highest rates of incarceration in the world, driven by the stringent criminalization of drug use across the region. Criminalization of drug use has been fueling the still expanding HIV and hepatitis epidemics in the region. 

The region sees also high rates of injection drug use among people in prisons, and prisons become focal points for the spread of HIV, hepatitis C, and tuberculosis. 

The report provides interesting information on specific features of criminal subculture in EECA prisons and on how prisons can play a significant role in shaping the success of public health interventions including opioid agonist therapy.

Key findings of the ECECACD report:

  • The criminalization of drug use leads to high incarceration rates and severe health risks among people in prison.
  • Limited access to healthcare services in EECA prisons contributes to the spread of HIV, hepatitis C, and tuberculosis.
  • Opioid agonist therapy (OAT) remains largely unavailable in prisons, and its effectiveness depends on social factors, including the attitudes of prison authorities and incarcerated individuals.

A comprehensive approach is needed to improve health outcomes, addressing both policy reforms and the realities of penitentiary systems.

Conclusions and recommendations:

  • Criminal subculture should be taken into consideration while planning culturally sensitive interventions.
  • Scalling up of OAT is critical for controlling HIV.
  • Clinical independence can be addressed by subordinating health services to Ministry of Heakth, but not to Penitentiary Services.
  • Decarceration policies should be considered and implemented widely.

Read the report: https://ececacd.org/the-intersection-of-health-drug-use…/

Aleksander Kwasniewski, chair of the ECECACD provided support to Ukraine’s candidacy to CND membership. On April 4 Ukraine was elected to became a CND member for next two years alongside with Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Slovenia, and Lithuania. Russian Federation was not elected first time for decades. It provides a good opportunity for global drug policy reform advocacy.