[Editorial] Urgent need for infection prevention and control in prisons

According to the Global Prison Trends 2025 report, global incarceration rates reached 11·5 million people per day in May, 2024—an all-time high. The report also highlighted issues of overcrowding, with 120 countries operating above their prison capacity. Most individuals in prisons are already susceptible to infectious diseases before their incarceration due to low socioeconomic backgrounds, pre-existing conditions, and substance misuse. These vulnerabilities are exacerbated by carceral factors such as overcrowding, poor ventilation, and poor access to health care, leading to amplified infectious disease transmission in prisons.