Seventeen doctors and nurses, alongside with twelve prison officers, all working in the penitentiary institutions across North Macedonia were trained on implementing the Suicide Prevention Strategy. The hybrid event took place on 22-23 June in Skopje and follows the development of the Strategy within the auspices of the action, being the first such document drafted with regards to the prison environment.

The Strategy’s key focus and thus the training focus included identifying risk factors, establishing prevention teams and application of the standard operation procedures and the action plan, all of which should address the issue of suicides and self-harm infliction in the penitentiary institutions.

The medical and penitentiary staff participated actively in the discussion facilitated by the international consultants, covering the specific questions which are related to the application of this Strategy, including the functioning of the Suicide Prevention Teams at central level and within the penitentiary institutions.

This activity was organised under the Action “Enhancing the capacities of the penitentiary system and the external oversight mechanism in North Macedonia”, co-funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe within the “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Turkey 2019-2022” and implemented by the Council of Europe.