Health officials in South Sudan’s Lakes State have reported cases of chickenpox and suspected measles at Rumbek Central Prison, with 24 infections identified among inmates.
State Health Director General Maker Malok said on Saturday that two elderly inmates were severely infected, while the rest were between 25 and 30 years old.
Malok told Radio Tamazuj on Monday that health workers, with support from the World Health Organization (WHO), were providing calamine lotion, painkillers, and allergy medications to treat rashes.
He praised prison medical staff for monitoring new cases but warned that infections could spread rapidly due to overcrowding and the arrival of inmates from different areas.
However, Rumbek State Hospital Director Dr. Terran Madit said health teams had confirmed the outbreak was chickenpox—not measles—but cautioned that it could still spread further.
About 10 inmates were severely affected and were receiving antibiotics and calamine lotion, he said.
“The cause of this outbreak is overcrowding,” Madit said, adding that officials had urged the prison director to work with lawyers and judges to ease congestion.
Civil society activist Daniel Laat Kon also confirmed the outbreak, blaming excessive inmate numbers.
“The large number of people being held without trial is a big problem,” Kon said, calling on the judiciary to expedite cases to reduce overcrowding.