13/04/2022
Highly Contagious Skin infectious Diseases infect inmates at Wau National Prison and Reform Center in Western Bahr Al-Ghazal State:
The State ministry of Health in its routine supportive supervisions to the Health Facilities and other highly populated installations like Wau prison, came across 35 inmates suffering from serious skin health conditions that caused panic and worries among both inmates and warden prison police officers in Wau.
After, medical interventions, the SMoH's Rapid Response medical team established the diagnosis of 20 inmates with chickenpox while 15 inmates with scabies among other fungal skin conditions.
It's worth while mentioning that Wau Civil prison facility was constructed to accommodate not more than (200 - 250) inmates at a time.
However, currently there are 766 inmates distributed in 16 wards of various accomodation capacities at the time of writing this report, with an average of 48 inmates per ward.
Some inmates could be spotted putting up in the toilets and bathrooms on turn for few hours then vacate to allow other inmates in the row take their turns and come in.
Though the SMoH is intervening with topical skin medications among others, yet strongly advocates the Prison authorities to:
1. Decongest the prison words and allow spacing for ventilation, cleanliness and healthier accommodations.
2. Emphasize on regular cleaning, disinfection and sterilization of the wards.
3. Encourage close adherence to WASH (Clean water supply, Sanitation services and good hygiene promotion) practices.
4. Call on the NGOs, Faith-based institutions, people and communities of good will to extend hands of supports to help salvage this dire situation.
5. Provision of soaps, detergents and disinfectants in quantities good enough to meet the needs of the inmates.
Dr Vincent Taban Joseph Surur.
The State Minister for Health in WBG.