TB in Prisons Eight Times Higher Risk than General Population in Uganda, Study

16 May 2025

Nearly half of Uganda’s prison population has latent tuberculosis (TB), according to the latest Uganda National Prevalence Survey on Tuberculosis, HIV, and COVID-19. The survey, released on May 15, 2025, found that active TB cases in prisons stand at 1,900 per 100,000— eight times higher than in the general population.

The survey was conducted by Makerere University School of Public Health (MakSPH) in conjunction with the Uganda Prisons Services (UPS) and the Ministry of Health — with funding from the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and technical support from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and prevention (CDC) — and purposed to have a more profound understanding of TB to help inform public health programs for this high-risk population.

Dr. Simon Kasasa, a Senior Lecturer at MakSPH and Principal Investigator of this study, stressed that “staying for a longer duration, three years and above, posed a greater risk to TB infection in prison.” He also noted TB infection was much higher among male prisoners (48%) compared to female prisoners (38%) and among those of older age, 65 years and above. Meanwhile, the report noted concerns about excessive numbers in prisons as a key risk factor for TB transmission.

Read the full press release here.

Source: Makerere University School of Public Health