Africa’s prisons are hotbeds of disease and hunger problems that have been heightened by COVID-19, a lack of resources and poor planning, health and rights advocates tell
Africa Science Focus.
This week, reporter Charles Pensulo speaks to a former inmate of Malawi’s notoriously overcrowded prisons, who tells us what life was like behind the walls. We hear about the public health threat from tuberculosis and HIV from Thokozile Phiri-Nkhoma, the executive director of Facilitators of Community Transformation, while Alexious Kamangila from the legal non-profit Reprieve tells us why the poorest members of Malawi’s society still find themselves trapped in the system.
Behind the wall: Africa’s prison health crisis
Overview of an overcrowded cell portrayed early in the morning (6am) The prisoners are waiting the authorization to go out to the common space after some 14 hours spent in critical condition. Copyright: Luca Sola/MSF
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Stakeholders in Malawi’s health sector have reiterated calls that domestic financing of the country’s health budget is crucial in achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) which seeks to ensure that everyone has access to quality healthcare services.
UHC coalition members and Members of Parliament pose for a group photo
This was said over the weekend in Salima District during an interface meeting between UHC coalition and Members of Parliament (MPs) belonging to health and budget committees and women caucus.
UHC coalition, a platform of stakeholders and advocates in the civil society, was lobbying the parliamentarians to consider increasing resources to the health sector to the required threshold of 15% of the national budget.