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Health issues affecting female internal migrant workers: A systematic review

Abstract

• Background: Economic contribution by internal migrant workers, in particular the workers in Export Processing Zones (EPZ) in Sri Lanka, is well recognized, yet the social and health consequences are unknown.
• Objective: To systematically review the health issues affecting female internal migrant workers in EPZ in Sri Lanka
• Methods: A literature review was conducted through…

Mental health of migrants in low-skilled work and the families they leave behind

Migration is rapidly reshaping the world. Low-skilled labour migration, in particular, is driven by disparities in income, wealth, and work opportunities. Labour migrants are increasingly flowing among low-income and middle-income nations in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.1 Migrant workers and the family members they leave behind number about 193 million,1 of whom 52–100 million people are domestic workers in low-skilled, so-called difficult, degrading, and dangerous…

The 2015 Nepal Earthquake(s): Lessons Learned From the Disability and Rehabilitation Sector's Preparation for, and Response to, Natural Disasters

The frequency of natural disasters appears to be mounting at an alarming rate, and the degree to which people are surviving such traumatic events also is increasing. Post-disaster survival often triggers increases in population and individual disability-related outcomes in the form of impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions, all of which have an important impact on the individual, his or her family, and their community. The increase in postdisaster disability-…

Mental distress and potentially modifiable social factors in post-conflict Sri Lanka

The number of people affected by protracted conflicts is surging, especially in North Africa, the Middle East, and eastern Europe, leading to large-scale population displacements. Conflict-related violence and displacement have a direct association with mental health problems.For example, in Sri Lanka—a country emerging from three decades of civil conflict—populations are showing substantial negative mental health consequences of conflict, such as depression,…

Is Sri Lanka prepared for yellow fever outbreaks? A case study

Assessing Vulnerabilities and Responses to Environmental Changes in Cambodia

Climate change is anticipated to increase the frequency, intensity and severity of extreme natural events, which could turn into far worse disasters, with considerable impact on human lives, agriculture, health, economy, education, rural and urban infrastructures, and private properties. The study "Assessing Vulnerabilities and Responses to Environmental Changes in Cambodia", funded by the IOM Development Fund, has been conducted jointly by the National Committee for Disaster Management (…

Migration, Mobility and Malaria: A Study on Migrants’ Vulnerability to Malaria and Epidemiology of Artemisinin-Resistant Malaria in Binh Phuoc Province, Viet Nam

In 2015, 12.6 per cent of Viet Nam’s population lived in malaria-endemic areas. Considerable progress has been made in decreasing overall rates of malaria and malaria-related deaths. However, there are some worrying trends, with noted slower progress in reducing malaria-related admissions and deaths in 2013 and 2014. Also of concern is the increasing level of resistance to artemisinin, a key drug for combatting malaria. Despite growing awareness of the importance of…

Tuberculosis in migrants moving from high-incidence to low-incidence countries: a population-based cohort study of 519 955 migrants screened before entry to England, Wales, and Northern Ireland

BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis elimination in countries with a low incidence of the disease necessitates multiple interventions, including innovations in migrant screening. We examined a cohort of migrants screened for tuberculosis before entry to England, Wales, and Northern Ireland and tracked the development of disease in this group after arrival.

METHODS: As part of a pilot pre-entry screening programme for tuberculosis in 15 countries with a high incidence of the disease, the…

What effect does international migration have on the nutritional status and child care practices of children left behind?

Abstract: Despite an increasing trend in labour migration and economic dependence on foreign migrant workers in Sri Lanka, very little is known about the child care and nutritional status of “children left behind”. The aim of this study was to examine the factors influencing the nutritional status and care practices of children left behind. A sample of 321 children, 6–59 months old of international migrant workers from a cross-sectional nationally…

Economic Analysis of the Impact of Overseas and Domestic Treatment and Screening Options for Intestinal Helminth Infection among US-Bound Refugees from Asia

BACKGROUND: Many U.S.-bound refugees travel from countries where intestinal parasites (hookworm, Trichuris trichuria, Ascaris lumbricoides, and Strongyloides stercoralis) are endemic. These infections are rare in the United States and may be underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed, leading to potentially serious consequences. This evaluation examined the costs and benefits of combinations of overseas presumptive treatment of parasitic diseases vs. domestic screening/treating vs. no program.

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