{"doi":"10.1093/infdis/jiae119","title":"Persons Deprived of Liberty in the Philippines: A Call to Health Equality","abstract":null,"journal":"The Journal of Infectious Diseases","year":2024,"id":652419,"datarank":0.10397207708399181,"base_score":0.6931471805599453,"endowment":0.6931471805599453,"self_citation_contribution":0.10397207708399181,"citation_network_contribution":0.0,"self_endowment_contribution":0.10397207708399181,"citer_contribution":0.0,"corpus_percentile":null,"corpus_rank":null,"citation_count":1,"citer_count":0,"citers_with_citation_signal":0,"citers_with_endowment":0,"datacite_reuse_total":0,"is_dataset":false,"is_dataset_confidence":null,"is_data_producer":false,"deposit_databanks":null,"is_oa":false,"file_count":0,"downloads":0,"has_version_chain":false,"published_date":null,"fair_score":null,"fair_percentile":null,"algorithm_id":"datarank_citation_only_1hop_v6","ranking_scope":"data_only","authors":[{"id":1190406,"name":"Dalmacito A Cordero","orcid":"0000-0001-8062-1242","position":0,"is_corresponding":false}],"reference_count":0,"raw_metadata":{"has_enrichment":true,"resolved":true,"title":"Persons Deprived of Liberty in the Philippines: A Call to Health Equality","abstract":"To the editor—I commend Andrews et al for their excellent article regarding the unfortunate situation of persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) who are afflicted with infectious disease outbreaks in carceral settings. The authors rightfully enumerated problems in carceral facilities worldwide that are characterized by overcrowding, poor ventilation, malnutrition, and limited access to medical care—conditions under which infectious diseases thrive [1]. With this, I aim to validate and flesh out their claim, especially when they refer to low- and middle-income countries as sample settings having such problems. I discuss the situation in the Philippines, which is classified as a lower middle-income country, and propose some interventions to address the issue. The Philippines has the highest jail occupancy in the world. The prison congestion rate is 534%, and global data show 215 000 people held in facilities meant to house about 41 000. Prison congestion refers to the overcrowding in prison due to accommodation of more prisoners than its ideal capacity. About three-quarters of them are being held awaiting trial. More than 220 000 were arrested in 2016 during the Duterte administration, and thousands more have been temporarily imprisoned for violating quarantine protocols [2]. The PDLs themselves attested that they suffer from inhuman conditions in the facility. There is an overcrowding and poor ventilation and infrastructure, as well as deficient health, hygiene, and sanitation conditions: all of which favor the spread of infectious diseases [3]. During the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, 716 city jail inmates tested positive for the virus. In New Bilibid Prison, the national penitentiary in Muntinlupa, 140 inmates have been infected with the disease, and 12 deaths have so far been attributed to COVID-19; the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong recorded 82 positive cases, with 3 deaths [4]. In the 2021 data, there were 1166 deaths within correctional facilities, and sickness is one of the major causes of the toll [5]. Some interventions must be urgently applied to address the problem. First, there should be strict routine monitoring and screening of each PDL for early detection. A study in The Lancet Public Health found that in 2019, 125 105 of the 11 million people incarcerated worldwide developed tuberculosis, and only about 53% of them are diagnosed, which suggests that incarcerated people are neglected and have minimal health care services [6]. Prison ventilation systems act not simply to provide fresh air but are essential in preventing the spread of airborne infectious diseases. Since poor ventilation in facilities is a great challenge, additional facilities with improved ventilation and sanitation systems must be constructed to avoid overcrowding and enhance air circulation. This project needs an additional fund, which is why the government and prison administrators must organize more income-generating projects for its budget. The government must also double-check the profiles of all PDLs and consider releasing those who are in old age, have preexisting medical conditions, and are seriously ill. This move can help address the overcrowded occupancy for each cell. Last, the mental health of every PDL must be prioritized. When the body is sick and weak, there is a low morale, which causes emotional stress and can lead to anxiety and depression. There should be psychosocial interventions, such as regular counseling sessions, group therapy programs, and spiritual activities, in every facility to monitor and address the mental needs of every PDL. Every individual, whether free or behind bars, has an inherent dignity and thus has the right to equal treatment. The PDLs, convicted or not, deserve to live humanely, free from afflictions and illness. Financial support. No financial support was received for this work.","is_dataset_classified":null,"base_score":0.6931471805599453,"endowment":0.6931471805599453,"datacite_reuse_total":0,"file_count":0,"downloads":0,"views":0,"has_version_chain":false,"is_dataset":false,"is_oa":false,"pmid":"38456316","pmcid":null,"openalex_id":"https://openalex.org/W4392575021","authors":[],"funders":[],"total_grants":0,"fwci":0.8973,"citation_percentile":0.75285322,"influential_citations":0,"citation_trend":[{"year":2026,"count":1}],"oa_status":"bronze","license":"https://academic.oup.com/pages/standard-publication-reuse-rights","oa_locations":[{"url":"https://academic.oup.com/jid/advance-article-pdf/doi/10.1093/infdis/jiae119/57086806/jiae119.pdf","host_type":"journal"},{"url":"https://academic.oup.com/jid/advance-article-pdf/doi/10.1093/infdis/jiae119/57086806/jiae119.pdf","host_type":"publisher"},{"url":"https://academic.oup.com/jid/article-pdf/230/2/522/58809233/jiae119.pdf","host_type":"publisher"},{"url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/infdis/jiae119","host_type":"journal"},{"url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38456316","host_type":"repository"}],"fields_of_study":["Global Maternal and Child Health","Healthcare Systems and Reforms","Global Public Health Policies and Epidemiology","Humans","Philippines","Human Rights","COVID-19","Freedom"],"mesh_terms":["COVID-19","Freedom","Humans","Human Rights","Philippines"],"keywords":["Political science","Gerontology","Sociology","Psychology","Medicine"],"sdg_mappings":[{"sdg_number":0,"sdg_label":"Reduced inequalities"}],"linked_datasets":[],"clinical_trials":[],"software_tools":[],"database_accessions":[],"source":"live","citation_network_status":"fetched"},"created_at":"2026-08-10T13:47:10.343994Z","pmid":null,"pmcid":null,"fwci":null,"citation_percentile":null,"influential_citations":0,"oa_status":null,"license":null,"views":0,"total_file_size_bytes":0,"version_count":0,"fair_f":null,"fair_a":null,"fair_i":null,"fair_r":null,"fair_zscore":null,"fair_rationale":null,"fair_model":null,"fair_agent_version":null,"fair_fulltext_source":null,"fair_has_llm":null,"fair_computed_at":null,"clinical_trials":[],"software_tools":[],"db_accessions":[],"linked_datasets":[],"topics":[]}