Ecuador's public health undersecretary has denied a tuberculosis epidemic in prisons, despite reports of high infection rates among inmates and ongoing deaths related to the disease.
Andrés Carrasco, the undersecretary of Surveillance, Prevention, and Health Control of the Ministry of Public Health (MSP) in Ecuador, announced that there are currently 2,649 inmates infected with tuberculosis in the penitentiary system. Despite these alarming figures, he firmly stated that the country is not facing a tuberculosis epidemic. Carrasco's comments come amid ongoing deaths in 2026 of individuals showing tuberculosis symptoms within the prison system, although he did not provide specific time frames for the statistics he referenced.
The official indicated a distinction between those testing positive for tuberculosis and those who have died from the disease, noting that there have been 609 reported deaths nationwide without clarifying the time period for these fatalities. Carrasco's attempt to clarify the situation has faced scrutiny, particularly since he failed to address specific concerns raised by social organizations and families of inmates, who have raised alarms about the health conditions in prisons.
In previous statements made in 2025, the MSP rejected claims of any tuberculosis-related deaths within the prison system, despite the contrasting reports from various social organizations. The ongoing health crisis in Ecuador's prisons continues to be a contentious issue, raising questions about the quality of healthcare provided to inmates and whether the government's public health messaging aligns with the realities on the ground.
