INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
The Ministry of Health in Ecuador has confirmed 1,115 tuberculosis cases across 12 prisons throughout the country
Litoral Penitentiary in Guayaquil houses 565 of these cases, making it the epicenter of this escalating health emergency.Authorities
discovered five inmates dead in their cells at Litoral Penitentiary on March 7, 2025
Police reports suggested tuberculosis as the probable cause of death
Health officials deny these inmates appeared in their tuberculosis monitoring system despite the troubling discovery.Prison conditions have
severely deteriorated since President Daniel Noboa declared an internal armed conflict against drug gangs in January 2024
Military intervention has worsened already deplorable living environments according to inmate families and human rights organizations.The
The ministry later admitted only two inmates actually declined medication when pressed for accurate information.Studies reveal tuberculosis
Treatment success hovers around 70%, with nearly 30% of cases failing due to inadequate follow-up or patient deaths.Tuberculosis Crisis
skin and visible malnutrition
Many live without proper hygiene, adequate nutrition, or consistent medical care in severely overcrowded conditions.Risk factors for
contracting tuberculosis include youth (ages 18-29), indigenous ethnicity, HIV infection, and longer incarceration periods
Officials warn this outbreak threatens not only prisoners but also guards, staff, visitors, and potentially the wider community.This
conditions for disease transmission.
