IMPROVING OF SERVICES ON PROTECTION AND PREVENTION FROM HIV/AIDS IN ISTANBUL BAYRAMPASA AND PASAKAPISI PRISONS

Background Information: According to the Ministry of Health data in 2001, there are 1325 cases of HIV/AIDS in Turkey. Out of this number, 404 people do have AIDS and 921 people are just carriers. HIV/AIDS started to be reported with 2 cases in 1985 while the number has reached to 1922 including both AIDS and carrier cases. Although the number is still not high, this would signal a potentially higher increase, and a greater danger in the number of people affected.

Sex workers, intravenous substance users, gay men, and prisoners/detainees in prisons are among the high risk groups in terms of HIV/AIDS. Prisons are a part of the community and it is a risky environment as prisoners are leading a collective life under limited health conditions. Therefore, prisoners/detainees in prisons are selected as the target group in this project. Most people in target groups do not apply to the health services because of the prejudices. However, precautionary measures against HIV/AIDS should be taken more among the high risk groups as there is a greater possibility of getting the disease among those groups. 
There is a need to increase precautionary and preventive measures and to increase access to the health services, to prevent discrimination and to support the people with HIV/AIDS, and to design and implement policy regarding HIV/AIDS prevention.

Project Summary: This Project targets one of the most vulnerable risk groups regarding sexually transmitted diseases, namely prisoners, and strives to offer trainings on access to the preventive services regarding HIV/AIDS to the prisoners and detainees in the Istanbul Male-only Secure-Custody Prison and Pasakapisi Female-only Prison. In this way, the aim is to increase the access to the preventive services and to promote the safe behaviors among the prisoners and detainees. Within the scope of the project, trainings on HIV/AIDS and safe behaviors will initially be given to the trainers of the training, and then to the health personnel, and volunteering support group and the target group. The other aim is to increase the capacity of the health units to provide consultancy services regarding HIV/AIDS.

Project Goals: The project aimed at increasing the access to the preventive health services on HIV/AIDS by the prisoners/detainees at the prisons and decreasing vulnerability of the prisoners/detainees through promoting safe behavior. 

The project also aimed at increasing the awareness level of the all target groups (including the trainers, health personnel, guardians, prison personnel, voluntary support group of peers, and prisoners) through a standardized training package including training programs, printed materials such as book and brochures, evaluation forms and other training materials on HIV/AIDS. During the project implementation, the capacity of the prisons’ administration would be enhanced in terms of providing consultancy services for the prevention of HIV/AIDS, early diagnosis and rehabilitation.

Project Beneficiaries: Trainers of the Ministry of Health, prisons’s staff composed of doctors, psychologists, social service specialists, teachers, and guardians, the prisoners/detainees as well as their families and relatives would benefit from this project.

Implemented Activities:

Provision of institutional cooperation among the stakeholders, such as Ministry of Justice General Directorate of Prisons and Detention Houses, Pasakapisi and Bayrampasa Prisons, Ministry of Health Global Fund Project Office, and International Blue Crescent.

• Preparation of training program,
• Visits to different stakeholders to promote the Project and needs assessment,
• Preparation of training packages for the target group,
• Training of trainers of Ministry of Justice and training of Personel at the Ministry of Health,
• Training of trainers of the prison guards
• Training of the other personel at the prisons
• Training of the volunteer support team
• Training of prisoners/detainees

• Activities to increase the capacity to provide services of the health units at the Prisons  (establishment of surveillance and consultancy systems)

Publication and dissemination of posters, brochures among the prisoners, personel and relatives of the prisoners)