Joint Submission to the OHCHR analytical study on key challenges in ensuring access to medicines,

The submission also expands on the 2023 joint submission to the OHCHR pursuant to resolution 52/24 and the joint submission to the OHCHR on human rights implications of and good practices and key challenges of equitable and universal access to and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. [...] Reportedly, between 20% and 50% of the global prison population has used drugs while incarcerated.2 Despite States obligations to protect the right to health of people who use drugs deprived of liberty (clearly recognised by OHCHR, WHO, UNAIDS, and UNODC, among others),3 and in disregard of the severe health risks that closed settings entail for people who use drugs, the Global State of Harm Reduc. [...] Research by HRI and PRI published in December 2021 revealed a widespread lack of transparency and information regarding vaccination rates of people living in prison and prison staff globally, which made it difficult to monitor the access to COVID-19 vaccination and constitutes, in itself, a violation of the right to health.12 Specifically, failure to provide transparent and desegregated data imped. [...] 2016, Global burden of HIV, viral hepas, and tuberculosis in prisoners and detainees, in The Lancet Series: HIV and related infecons in prisoners; European Centre for Disease Prevenon and Control and the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addicon. [...] In addition to the lack of uniformity in the vaccination programmes and their rollouts,16 independent reports raise concerns about prioritisation and/or exclusion of prisoners from vaccination based on political motives in a number of countries.17 Vaccine hesitancy appeared to be higher in prisons than in the general population in countries such as Finland, Greece, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago.