PS BEACCO ADVOCATES FOR STRENGTHENED COLLABORATION AS HEALTH CONFERENCE ENDS

By Pili Chimerah 

State Department for Correctional Services Principal Secretary Dr. Salome Beacco has hailed the outcomes of the First African Conference on Health in Detention as groundbreaking. 

Addressing delegates attending the conference, the PS said the enhanced collaboration would aid in strengthening the rule of law and healthcare management in correctional institutions so that it does not conflict with security procedures. 

“During the three days, I believe you have had in-depth debates, knowledge sharing, and peer review in all critical areas,” she said.

She applauded the strengthened collaborations between the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and the State Department in tackling emerging health challenges including  COVID-19, capacity building, and the digitization of health systems.

ICRC Head of Nairobi Regional Delegation Daniel O’Malley, on the other hand, called for collaborative efforts to improve health systems for those who have been incarcerated.

The last day saw calls on the need to embrace new technologies designed to improve the management of health care in detention reverberate.

The conference brought together over 120 delegates including health experts, and senior government officials drawn from different correctional institutions across 23 African countries.