Published: January 25, 2025
GREENVILLE, Sinoe County – A chickenpox outbreak has struck the Greenville Central Prison, leaving six inmates severely affected and raising fears of a potential rapid spread to all five cells housing the prison’s population.
The prison, originally constructed by the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) as part of a Quick Impact Project, is located in the heart of Greenville. Designed to accommodate only 25 inmates, the facility currently houses around 65 individuals, more than double its intended capacity. This overcrowding has exacerbated existing sanitation challenges, despite repeated calls for intervention by the Division of Rehabilitation under the Ministry of Justice. However, these pleas have gone unanswered.
The situation has reached a critical level, with two of the affected inmates becoming unconscious due to the severity of their condition, The Liberian Investigator has gathered. They were rushed to the F.J. Grant Hospital for urgent medical attention, with the prison superintendent personally covering the expenses.
Given the highly contagious nature of chickenpox, authorities fear the virus could quickly infect the entire inmate population, prison staff, and even visitors. The risk extends beyond the prison walls, threatening the broader Greenville community if immediate containment measures are not implemented.
Prison authorities are urgently appealing to the Ministry of Health, international and local non-governmental organizations, and other stakeholders to provide support in addressing this health crisis.
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