Dar es Salaam. The Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute (JKCI) has launched a programme to screen prisoners and remand inmates for heart disease and other non-communicable diseases (NCDs), in a move aimed at improving access to healthcare and protecting wider public health.

The programme began on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, at Ukonga Prison in Dar es Salaam, where JKCI specialists and other medical professionals conducted cardiovascular health assessments using a range of diagnostic tests.

The screening services include electrocardiograms (ECGs), echocardiograms (ECHOs), blood tests and screening for other NCDs. Prisoners found to have health complications will receive treatment or be referred for specialised care.

Speaking during the launch, JKCI Executive Director Dr Peter Kisenge said the institute had decided to take healthcare services closer to people rather than wait for them to visit hospitals.

He said prisoners were part of society and deserved access to quality healthcare.

“Those who require referrals will be taken to our institute for further care, while those who need medication will receive it at the point of service,” he said.

Dr Kisenge said the programme would be extended to other prisons across the country to increase access to early screening for heart disease and other NCDs among prisoners and remand inmates.

He also urged the public to know their health status by regularly checking their blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol levels and body weight to identify early warning signs of disease.

For his part, Senior Assistant Commissioner of Prisons and Head of the Health Department at the Tanzania Prisons Service, Mr Nsajigwa Mkenja, said the initiative was important because prisoners and remand inmates were Tanzanian citizens with the right to access healthcare services.

He said investment in prevention and early screening would benefit not only inmates but also protect public health, given that many prisoners eventually return to their communities after completing their sentences.

“Preventive health is community health. When an individual is healthy, it is not only a benefit to that person but to society as a whole,” he said.

Mr Mkenja added that undiagnosed communicable diseases could continue to spread when inmates returned to their communities, making early screening an important measure in controlling such risks.

He said it was also important to ensure prisoners completed their sentences in good health so they could return to productive activities and contribute to national development rather than become a burden because of preventable illnesses.

“That is why we are working to ensure people leave prison in good health so they can participate in various nation-building activities without any difficulties,” he said.

Mr Mkenja said the Tanzania Prisons Service was ready to work with JKCI to expand the programme to prisons across the country. He also proposed extending the services to prison officers, officials and other employees of the service.

He stressed the importance of developing a culture of regular health check-ups to detect diseases before they become severe.

“If you do not know your health status, sometimes a disease can suddenly strike and a person dies. If the problem had been detected early, they could have received treatment and continued living a healthy life,” he said.

Mr Mkenja said the Tanzania Prisons Service would continue monitoring inmates identified with health problems through the screening results, while cooperation with JKCI was expected to strengthen healthcare services in prisons and contribute to protecting the health of Tanzanians more broadly.