India's prison inmates are five times more likely to develop tuberculosis (TB) than the general population, a study published in The Lancet Public Health has raised several questions. The Government of India is working on the target of eradicating TB from India by the year 2025 under the Prime Minister's TB Free India Campaign, but in reality, this target seems very difficult.

The report of the first study of its kind to assess the prevalence of communicable diseases in prisons around the world has raised concerns. Researchers have said that out of every one lakh prisoners lodged in Indian prisons, about 1,076 are victims of TB. And according to the WHO TB Report 2022, in the general population, TB cases are only 210 per one lakh population.

This means that the risk of this serious and life-threatening disease in prisoners may be about five times higher than in the general population.

TB risk rising in prisons around the world
In this study, researchers assessed the risks of TB among inmates held in prisons in 193 countries. Researchers found that of the nearly 11 million people in prison globally in 2019, about 125,105 were at risk of TB. This rate is equal to 1,148 cases per one lakh people. Whereas in the general population, this figure is around 127.

The study found that globally, the rate of diagnosis of TB among inmates in prisons is only 53 percent.

Why are cases increasing?
Researchers have found overcrowding in prisons to be a major reason for rising TB cases among prisoners. Concerns have also been expressed in earlier studies about the risk of this disease in prisoners. In a related study published in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases in 2017, researchers found that TB diagnosis and treatment rates in prisons were 18% and 54%, respectively. Only half of the prisons screen inmates for TB upon entry.

What do health experts say?
Leonardo Martinez, professor and head of the study at Boston University's School of Public Health in the US, says TB cases are on the rise in prisons because of overcrowding and ventilation problems. There is a need to continue taking special precautions regarding this increasing health risk. In addition, people in prison may be at a higher risk of health problems such as diabetes, alcohol use disorders, smoking, and undernourishment, along with TB.

The government of India is working on the goal of eradicating TB
These figures are going to increase even more concern for India. The Government of India is working to make the country TB-free by the year 2025. In such a situation, increasing TB cases among prisoners can become an obstacle to meeting this target. This goal has also been questioned in earlier studies on TB.

According to the report published in the PMC Journal, where 256 new cases of TB were reported every year in 2015, it has come down to 210 in 2021, but it is still far more than the target of making the country TB-free. India still has a higher number of new TB cases than global figures.

(PC: Freepik)