By Aggrey Twesigye
MBARARA: Uganda’s criminal justice sector has emerged as an unexpected yet vital partner in the country’s fight against HIV, tuberculosis (TB), and malaria, following a renewed push supported by funding from the Global Fund.
Once regarded primarily as an enforcer of law and order, the sector is now playing a central role in safeguarding public health, particularly within high-risk environments such as prisons, police detention centers, and remand facilities.
These institutions have long struggled with overcrowding, limited access to healthcare, and poor infrastructure conditions that have fueled the spread of infectious diseases.
In response to these challenges, the sector, working closely with the Ministry of Health, has rolled out a comprehensive prevention and treatment program across correctional facilities nationwide.
The initiative, which began in 2018 under the Global Fund’s new funding model, followed a baseline survey that highlighted how barriers within the justice system were impeding individuals’ access to essential health services.
Speaking during a two-day orientation workshop in Mbarara City, Global Fund Coordinator in the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, Barbra Masinde, said the program has so far received five billion shillings to strengthen interventions in the sector.
She emphasized that the inclusion of the criminal justice system was driven by evidence showing that systemic constraints were denying many individuals their right to health.
Masinde noted that the health challenges within correctional facilities extend beyond isolated institutions.
She pointed to chronic underfunding, competing government priorities, and structural limitations such as overcrowded cells as key obstacles undermining disease control efforts.
The workshop brought together officials from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, the police, prisons, the judiciary, and other stakeholders tasked with implementing the program.
As part of the intervention, decentralized screening for HIV, TB, and malaria is being conducted by trained non-medical personnel within these institutions to improve early detection and treatment.
Dr. Shaban Mugerwa, Equity Plan Coordinator at the Uganda AIDS Commission, said the program is focused on identifying individuals who may be infected and ensuring they access appropriate care.
He noted that HIV prevalence in detention centers stands at approximately 15 percent three times higher than the national average of 4.9 percent highlighting the urgent need for targeted interventions.
Mugerwa added that inmates are significantly more vulnerable to infection than the general population, and the project aims to uncover and address barriers that hinder their access to health services. End.
