Uganda Prisons tightens on access to prisoners over Ebola

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The Uganda Prisons Service has rolled out strict Ebola prevention and containment measures across prisons nationwide following confirmation of imported Ebola cases in Uganda linked to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The directives, issued by the Commissioner General of Prisons through the prisons spokesperson, Frank Baine, place all prisons under heightened surveillance as authorities seek to prevent possible transmission among inmates, prisons staff and surrounding communities.

The new Standard Operating Procedures focus on early detection, restricted movement, hygiene enforcement and rapid coordination with the Ministry of Health in the event of suspected Ebola infections inside prison facilities.

Ebola TaskForces

Under the new measures, all regional and district prisons commanders, together with Officers-in-Charge of prison facilities, have been instructed to actively participate in district Ebola preparedness and response taskforce meetings.

Prisons authorities said the move is intended to strengthen coordination between security agencies, district leaders and health officials as Uganda intensifies nationwide surveillance following the Ebola outbreak in DRC. Over 500 suspected Ebola cases have been reported in DRC, with over 130 deaths. In Uganda, two cases were confirmed, and one of the patients has since died.

The prisons service has also ordered the immediate enhanced monitoring of inmates and prisons staff across all prison facilities in the country, focusing majorly on prisons located along the Uganda-DRC border and high-mobility urban facilities, including Kampala Extra and prisons within the central region.

The Uganda Prisons Service has further introduced mandatory Ebola symptom screening for all new inmates and visitors entering prison facilities in line with national health guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health.

Baine noted that new admissions arriving from Ebola-affected or high-risk travel zones will undergo enhanced health monitoring and closer coordination with health authorities.

Baine said the measures are intended to quickly identify possible infections before they spread within the confined prison environment, where the virus can quickly spread due to overcrowding.

“Any suspected Ebola case must immediately be reported to the Uganda Prisons TaskForce for isolation and coordination with the Ministry of Health,” the guidelines state.

Prison authorities have also reactivated strict handwashing and hygiene protocols at prison entry points, offices, wards and communal areas. The directives require prison officers, inmates and visitors to regularly observe hand hygiene measures as Uganda continues public sensitisation campaigns aimed at preventing Ebola transmission.

Uganda continues to strengthen nationwide surveillance and emergency response systems following confirmation of two imported Ebola Bundibugyo cases involving Congolese nationals who travelled from DRC to Kampala for treatment.

The World Health Organisation has already declared the Ebola outbreak in DRC a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, warning of heightened regional transmission risks due to extensive cross-border movement.