AFEW: Projects >> HIV Prevention and Health Promotion in Prisons (Russian Federation)

HIV Prevention and Health Promotion in Prisons
Russian Federation

PROJECT DURATION: January 1999 through September 2003

DONOR(S): MATRA - Social Transformation Programme of the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs (www.minbuza.nl); The Elton John AIDS Foundation (www.ejaf.org); Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA; www.sida.se)

PARTNER(S): The Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation (http://www.scli.ru/index.asp, http://www.minjust.ru/index.html, http://www.guin-uis.ru); The Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation (http://www.minzdrav-rf.ru, http://www.depart.drugreg.ru)

REGION(S): Penza, Omsk, and Krasnodar Regions and Moscow, Russian Federation

BACKGROUND:
Currently, the Russian Federation is experiencing one of the worst HIV/AIDS epidemics in the world. The number of registered HIV cases increased from 1 071 at the end of 1995 to 248 005, or 169.8 per 100 000 population as of 1 August 2003. The majority of infections have occurred among injecting drug users (IDUs) although it is now spreading to the general population through sexual contact.

Since most experts, including the World Health Organisation and the Russian government, assume that the actual number of cases is 3.5 to 4.5 times the official figure, many researchers now believe there may be more than 1 million people in the Russian Federation (RF) living with HIV/AIDS. Recent figures from the Russian Federal AIDS Centre predict that the figure will rise to 5 million by the end of 2005.

As of June 2003, the Russian prison system held 866 612 prisoners, making the RF a country with one of the highest incarceration rates in the world. According to the Ministry of Justice, an increasing number of people living with HIV (PLWHA) - approximately 14.3%, or 35 384 of all officially registered HIV cases - are currently imprisoned, primarily on drug-related offences.

Most prisoners - both those living with and without HIV/AIDS - have little or no knowledge regarding HIV/AIDS. Likewise, general and medical prison staff wish to improve their knowledge with regard to HIV/AIDS-related issues. This lack of information often leads to high risk sexual and/or drug use behaviour among inmates, and the complete isolation of HIV positive prisoners.

OVERALL OBJECTIVE:
To support the establishment of a sustainable HIV/AIDS prevention and health promotion programme in the Russian prison system

PROJECT PURPOSE:
The project aims to establish long-term working relationships between the penitentiary system and community agencies to build an easy-to-copy structure, ensuring sustainability and mutual support in the area of HIV prevention within the penitentiary system

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES:
1. To develop and produce health promotion materials, create training manuals, provide training on and implement practical HIV/AIDS prevention and health promotion activities in selected prisons
2. To break the relative isolation of the Russian prison system by stimulating co-operation between municipal health institutions (i.e., AIDS centres, drug treatment centres and NGOs) and selected prisons
3. Dissemination of the lessons learnt during the implementation of the project to other penitentiary institutions in close co-operation with high-level managers of public health institutions
4. To develop and apply qualitative and quantitative epidemiological surveillance tools and methods to support the development of materials and to measure the impact of programme activities

TARGET GROUPS:
· Inmates in selected prisons
· Medical and non-medical prison staff (i.e., security staff, physicians and psychologists) in selected regions
· Medical staff from AIDS centres, drug treatment centres, and staff from local NGOs in the project regions

(EXPECTED) RESULTS AND SUCCESS:
1. Trainings:
The following trainings were provided as a part of project activities:
· 600 inmates in four (4) prisons were trained as outreach workers
· 500 medical professionals and psychologists were trained on pre- and post-HIV test counselling
· 560 security, disciplinary and custodial staff received training on the reduction of risk in the work place
· 100 representatives of the regional prison system administrations, heads of various structures within the Directorate of Corrections, and heads and/or administrators from individual prison colonies received training on health promotion in prison facilities

2. Distribution of Materials:
· Information materials including brochures, flyers, books and a film were distributed (see '(Expected) Materials Production' section for specific details)
· AFEW supplied security and disciplinary staff who are in daily contact with inmates in the four (4) partner regions with 10 000 first aid kits and brochures on emergency first aid specifically designed for the prison setting
· AFEW supplied the four (4) partner regions (and some other regions upon request) with bleach and 100 000 condoms.

3. Honorary Citation from the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation
· AFEW was awarded an Honorary Citation from the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation signed by Minister of Justice Yuri Chayka in December 2002. The award was presented by First Deputy Minister of Justice Yuri Kalinin.

(EXPECTED) MATERIALS PRODUCTION:
Materials produced by the project are based on the most up-to-date sources of information, were thoroughly pre-tested among the intended target audiences, and were approved by the Medical Department of the Federal Directorate of Corrections (GUIN). They were printed in large quantities in order to ensure availability among all partner colony staff and to cover the target audiences including 80 000 inmates housed in these colonies. All materials were distributed to the partner correctional facilities with an accompanying endorsement letter from the Ministry of Justice. Samples of each material were also sent to other regions upon request.

The following materials were produced:
· A documentary film entitled 'Health Promotion in the Russian Prison System: New Approaches' - 5 000 copies were distributed among all Russian prisons
· A book entitled 'HIV in Prison: A Manual with Particular Relevance for the Newly Independent States' - at the recommendation of the Main Directorate for Corrections of the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation 8 000 copies were distributed among all Russian prison facilities
· 'Hepatitis' poster - 1 000 copies
· 'Tuberculosis' poster -1,000 copies
· 'HIV Infection' leaflet - 40 000 copies
· 'Basic Articles on Health Promotion Issues in the Penal System', Reader No. 1 - 1 000 copies
· 'Basic Articles on Health Promotion Issues in the Penal System', Reader No. 2 - 1 000 copies
· 'Basic Articles on Health Promotion Issues in the Penal System', Reader No. 3 - 1 000 copies
· 'Basic Articles on Health Promotion Issues in the Penal System', Reader No. 4 - 1 000 copies
· 'Reader for Decision Makers' - 1 000 copies
· 'Living with HIV in Prison' brochure - 20 000 copies
· 'Sexually Transmitted Infection' brochure - 20 000 copies
· 'Instruction Sheet on HIV Counselling' - 3 000 copies
· Male version of the 'I am the same as you' flyer - 40 000 copies
· Female version of the 'I am the same as you' flyer - 10 000 copies
· HIV Calendars for 2003 - 40 000 copies
· Male version of the 'Protect Yourself' brochure - 125 000 copies
· Female version of the 'Protect Yourself' brochure - 50 000 copies
· 'Rate Your Risk' brochure, translated and adapted from the EU booklet for security staff - 25 000 copies

RESEARCH COMPLETED AND PLANNED BY AFEW:
During the project cycle, AFEW has completed a baseline KAPB survey, yearly needs assessments, a mid-term project evaluation, and a final project evaluation, which took place in May and June 2003.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Alexey Frolov
Project Co-ordinator
HIV Prevention and Health Promotion in Prisons Projects
AIDS Foundation East-West(AFEW)
Email: alexey_frolov@afew.org

Marina Pryanichnikova
Project Assistant
HIV Prevention and Health Promotion in Prisons Projects
AIDS Foundation East-West (AFEW)
Email: marina_pryanichnikova@afew.org

Office Address:
Chayanova St. 15/5
Moscow 125267 Russian Federation
Tel: + 7 495 250 6377
Fax: + 7 495 250 6387
Website: http://www.afew.org

International Postal Address:
AFEW
P. O. Box 75752
1070 AT Amsterdam
The Netherlands