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Drug use in prisons in Kyrgyzstan: a study about the effect of health promotion among prisoners

L. F. Moller (World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe)
B. J. Van Den Bergh (World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe)
S. Karymbaeva (World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe)
A. Esenamanova (National Narcological Centre, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan)
R. Muratalieva (Ministry of Justice, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan)

International Journal of Prisoner Health

ISSN: 1744-9200

Article publication date: 1 March 2008

181

Abstract

In Kyrgyzstan the prevalence of injecting drug behaviour is among the highest found throughout the world. Health promotion training, improved health care and needle/syringe exchange (NSE) programmes have been shown to decrease risk behaviour among injecting drug users. In Kyrgyzstan, an intervention study with training of prison staff and prisoners was performed in one prison. Before and after the training, a random selection of the prisoners answered a questionnaire about drug use, risk behaviour and health care. The survey was carried out in both the intervention prison and in a reference prison. The number of drug users, the use of drugs and risk behaviour were improved significantly within half a year and, especially, the injection and use of drugs decreased in the intervention group. The study clearly shows that increased focus, improved healthcare and training of prisoners and staff on drug use and harm reduction can reduce both use of drugs and risk behaviour.

Keywords

Citation

Moller, L.F., Van Den Bergh, B.J., Karymbaeva, S., Esenamanova, A. and Muratalieva, R. (2008), "Drug use in prisons in Kyrgyzstan: a study about the effect of health promotion among prisoners", International Journal of Prisoner Health, Vol. 4 No. 3, pp. 124-133. https://doi.org/10.1080/17449200802264654

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2008, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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