BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, Jan. 11 (UPI) -- An epidemic of tuberculosis is raging in Kyrgyzstan's prisons, a German broadcaster reported Tuesday.
Elena Voronina from the Kyrgyz Center for Support for Non-governmental Organizations told Deutsche Welle that every other prisoner in Kyrgyzstan is suffering from TB.
The number of such patients in Kyrgyzstan's prisons has doubled since 2000 and now stands at about 14,000, Voronina said. Some prisoners have died from the disease, she added.
The TB outbreak has been caused by unsanitary conditions and poor food in the prisons, Voronina said.
Kyrgyzstan is a mountainous, landlocked country in Central Asia. It has a population of slightly more than 5 million, of which those who are considered to be below the poverty line make up about 50 percent.
TB usually is spread by coughing and sneezing. The World Health Organization reports 2 million people die from the disease in the world each year.
