Pellagra is a deadly disease caused by malnutrition. ICRC started assisting the country’s prisons with dietary materials at the height of malnutrition cases in 2008. Insiders at the prison said the situation at the moment was not stable and had the potential to worsen if ICRC completely withdrew aid.
“It should be understood that Hwahwa Young Offenders Prison is the only jail in the country meant for youngster criminals. It is therefore always overcrowded and the government has never succeeded in providing enough food for prisons in general and in particular that prison.
“Things had become better with Red Cross helping but we will definately slide back into the pre-2008 era marked with multi pellagra cases if that NGO pulls out, a senior official said.
Post published in: News