The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The police in Kampala Metropolitan Area has started screening newly arrested suspects to ascertain if they are suffering from malaria, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS, such that they get access to early treatment.
The Global Fund will fund the three-year project in 16 police stations through the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, as they work hand in hand with the police, prisons and the judiciary as the criminal justice system to eliminate the said epidemics by 2030.
According to the Director of Public of Prosecutions Jane Frances Abodo, as prosecutors, they spend most of their time with inmates and if one of them is not screened and given treatment, it puts many other people at risk of getting infected with these infectious diseases.
Abodo was being represented by her Deputy George William Byansi at the Jinja Road Police Station where the screening exercise was launched on Tuesday. He indicated that this is a big intervention measure because there has been no frequent screening for the said diseases, and he has called upon the players to sustain this service.
Byansi said those found to be sick will be separated from the rest and taken to hospitals for treatment. Asked if this is not going to create stigma and discrimination, Byansi said that he was aware this could happen, but the information will be kept confidential.
He said even the isolation centers will not be exposed for people to know that this prisoner has gone here because of this condition. He encouraged people to participate and be cooperative in this exercise saying that it’s normal to fall sick and therefore people should not fear to be tested.
According to Proscovia Ayebare, the project coordinator, some of the diseases like HIV are as a result of congestion in prisons where inmates are forced to sleep very congested and squeezed to each other and end up participating in homosexuality.
She thus called for the urgent need of expansion of the prison cells, isolation of the infected suspects, increase of the health workers and sensitization of the public and those working on this screening program to rule out stigma and discrimination and do it in a manner that protects their rights.
On his part, the Deputy Director of Uganda Police Health Services, Dr. Emmanuel Niwamanya welcomed the intervention saying it will protect the public and police from contracting the diseases, and provide services to those found to be sick and reduce further spread.
He said previously, the police had been screening suspects after seeing symptoms but believes that the testing before seeing symptoms will help them to detect the diseases earlier and help other suspects who would have been detained with such people not to get the disease.
Speaking as the Guest of Honour, Minister of Internal Affairs Gen Kahinda Otafiire lashed out at the Uganda Police Force for exposing innocent people to the danger of contracting Tuberculosis, HIV and Malaria through arresting them before investigations are completed.
Otafiire told the officers that the prevention of these killer diseases starts with discipline and that he is tired of unlawful arrests and false imprisonment of innocent Ugandans well knowing the prison cells are already congested and the holding capacity has surpassed the suspects because of the current population estimated to be 44million people.
According to the statistics released by the Ministry of Health in March 2022, at least 240 Ugandans suffer from TB every day and of these, 30 die and the disease is estimated to have killed about 10,950 Ugandans in 2021. The same source reveals that malaria is still the leading cause of death in Uganda.
*****
URN
