Children in detention amidst COVID-19 in Africa: A wound untreated

Children in detention in Africa are part of the vulnerable population exposed to the COVID-19 pandemic due to factors such as overcrowding, poor healthcare of inmates, and lousy state of the facilities. The number of children in detention was estimated to be about one million in 2010, and this has further increased threat to global health. The fall in operating criminal justice systems, from the aspect of rehabilitation and reform in Africa, to its being plagued with crisis, overpopulation, and inability to conform to fundamental human rights and health standards. It was noted that children in detention in Africa end up in prison mainly because they are either given birth to by incarcerated mothers or sentenced to jail based on their alleged criminal activity. Also, certain limitations in some African countries to track the prevalence of COVID-19 and other diseases include inaccessible data, non-specificity of data, and unreliable information regarding the current prison situation. Sometimes, these data could be insufficient and hard to comprehend, primarily if written in the local language. The efforts to resolve the untreated wounds of children in detention during COVID-19 are somewhat tricky. However, this paper identifies these limitations and proffers recommendations such as; the identification and implementation of strategies that support the continuity of child-centered services, prioritizing children for immediate release, and ensuring adequate protection of their health and well-being, among others.