Program duration: 01/11/2025 - 31/10/2028

PACE (Participatory Approach for Training, Empowerment, and Health Education Resources in Prisons)

Prolepsis Institute is partnering in PACE (Participatory Approach for Training, Empowerment, and Health Education Resources in Prisons), a three-year project, implemented under the EU4Health Programme (EU4H-PJG). Coordinated by the University of Pisa, PACE aims to implement effective evidence-based interventions to reduce the burden of cancers related to Human Papilloma Virus and viral hepatitis (Hepatitis B Virus, Hepatitis C Virus) in adults and juveniles in European carceral settings.

Using a participatory and intersectional methodology, PACE integrates evidence-based practices with scalable, locally adapted interventions to improve vaccination, screening and linkage to care, promoting sustainable health outcomes for underserved populations. PACE will identify, adapt, and implement best practices through pathfinder interventions that address local needs and provide scalable models for prison systems. These efforts will lead to the development of the Prison Implementation Compass, a practical framework for replicating the processes. PACE will also strengthen monitoring and evaluation through a multi-country network of prison sentinels, enabling high-quality data collection and standardised assessment using a minimum data set and monitoring tools. Capacity building activities will empower health professionals, prison staff and other stakeholders to sustain and scale up these interventions.

PACE will also emphasize collaboration through an international professional network, which will facilitate ongoing knowledge exchange and policy advocacy. Policy dialogue and recommendations will further ensure the integration of PACE findings into national and EU health strategies, in line with the WHO Hepatitis Elimination Goals and the EU Beating Cancer Plan.

Overall, PACE will provide a framework for sustainable, equitable, and replicable health interventions in carceral settings, ultimately contributing to improved public health outcomes and reduced inequalities across Europe.

The consortium comprises 10 organizations from 7 countries, including Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Moldova, Portugal, and Romania.

Coordinator

University of Pisa (UNIPI), Italy

Participating Organizations

Administratia Nationala A Penitenciarelor, Moldova

Administratia Nationala A Penitenciarelor, Romania

Azeinda Socio-Sanitaria Territoriale (ASST) Santi Paolo e Carlo, Italy

Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Montpellier, France

Cyprus National Addictions Authority, Cyprus

Faculdade de Farmácia da Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal

Prolepsis Institute, Greece

Società Italiana Medicina delle Migrazioni, Italy

Ministry of Justice and Public Order, Cyprus

Contact information
Pania Karnaki: p.karnaki@prolepsis.gr

Nikos Drougos: n.drougos@prolepsis.gr