Publications Search
This publications portal is a repository of all IOM migration health publications from 2006 to present where IOM was a primary contributor.
Publications include peer-reviewed scientific papers, technical reports, training guides/manuals, policy briefs/discussion papers, factsheets, newsletters, research reviews, conference and poster presentations. These are categorized by topic, author, country/region covered as well as by year, language, and type of publication. The map reflects the countries covered by the publications.
To browse or search: simply use the filter options on the left-hand side. Alternatively, you can enter keyword/s in the search box. Selecting a specific publication will lead to a ‘download’ link or link to the website where the document is housed. Here is the step-by-step guide for your reference.
Use of Point-of-Care Handheld Ultrasound for Splenomegaly in United States-Bound Refugees: A Novel Technology with Far-Reaching Implications
Author/s: Tim Kummer, Alexandra M. Medley, Alexander Klosovsky, Erin Mann, Patricia Mburu, Karen Ekernas, Betty Bonass, Jacob C. Stauffer, Stewart Walukaga, Michelle Weinberg, Stephen J. Dunlop, William M. Stauffer
Ultrasound (US) is an invaluable clinical tool. New point-of-care US technology holds great promise for hard-to-reach and mobile populations such as refugees. The implementation of US in unique and challenging settings has been hindered by cost, fragility of equipment, need for uninterrupted electricity, training, and difficulty in sharing data/image files impeding quality assurance. The recent development of more flexible, durable, high-quality, low-cost, handheld US technology has offered…
Read more
Prevalence of Malaria Parasite Infections among U.S.-Bound Congolese Refugees with and without Splenomegaly
Author/s: Moses Mwesigwa, Jessica L. Webster, Sam Lubwama Nsobya, Alexander Rowan, Mukunda Singh Basnet, Christina R. Phares, Michelle Weinberg, Alexander Klosovsky, Marwan Naoum, Philip J. Rosenthal, William Stauffer
Abstract
All U.S.-bound refugees from sub-Saharan Africa receive presumptive antimalarial treatment before departing for the United States. Among U.S.-bound Congolese refugees, breakthrough malaria cases and persistent splenomegaly have been reported. In response, an enhanced malaria diagnostic program was instituted. Here, we report the prevalence of plasmodial infection among 803 U.S.-bound Congolese refugees who received enhanced diagnostics. Infections by either rapid…
Read more
An immunization program for US-bound refugees: Development, challenges, and opportunities 2012–present
Author/s: Tarissa Mitchell, Warren Dalal, Alexander Klosovsky, Catherine Yen, Christina Phares, Margaret Burkhardt, Farah Amin, Ivan Froes, Amira Hamadeh, Sai Aung Lynn, Judith Quintanilla, Annelise Casano Doney, Martin Cetron, Michelle Weinberg
Background
US-bound refugees undergo required health assessments overseas to identify and treat communicable diseases of public health significance—such as pulmonary tuberculosis—before migration. Immunizations are not required, leaving refugees at risk for vaccine-preventable diseases. In response, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the US Department of State developed and co-funded a global immunization program for US-bound refugees, implemented in 2012 in…
Health challenges in refugee resettlement: An innovative multi-sector partnership to improve the continuum of care for resettled refugees
Author/s: Erin M Mann, Alexander Klosovsky, Catherine Yen, Andrew PJ Olson, Sarah J Hoffman, Blain Mamo, Ellen A Frerich, Michelle Weinberg, Harith Mayali, Molly McCoy, Shailendra Prasad, Stephen J Dunlop, William M Stauffer
Refugee resettlement is a highly complex process that may hold lessons for the larger realm of migration medicine. As more and more people are displaced by war, climate change, political strife, and economic disparities, migration medicine is becoming an increasingly important component of travel medicine. A recent partnership between the International Organization for Migration/United Nations Agency for Migration (IOM), the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the University…
Read more
Clinical Sequelae Associated with Unresolved Tropical Splenomegaly in a Cohort of Recently Resettled Congolese Refugees in the United States—Multiple States, 2015–2018
Author/s: Laura Divens Zambrano, Emily Jentes, Christina Phares, Michelle Weinberg, S. Patrick Kachur, Mukunda Singh Basnet, Alexander Klosovsky, Moses Mwesigwa, Marwan Naoum, Samuel Lubwama Nsobya, Olivia Samson, Matthew Goers, Robert McDonald, Bozena Morawski, Henry Njuguna, Corey Peak, Rebecca Laws, Yasser Bakhsh, Sally Ann Iverson, Carla Bezold, Hayder Allkhenfr, Roberta Horth, Jun Yang, Susan Miller, Michael Kacka, Abby Davids, Margaret Mortimer, William Stauffer and Nina Marano
Abstract. Tropical splenomegaly is often associated with malaria and schistosomiasis. In 2014 and 2015, 145 Congolese refugees in western Uganda diagnosed with splenomegaly during pre-departure medical examinations underwent enhanced screening for various etiologies. After anecdotal reports of unresolved splenomegaly and complications after U.S. arrival, patients were reassessed to describe long-term clinical progression after arrival in the United States. Post-arrival medical information…
Read more
Impact of enhanced health interventions for United States–bound refugees: Evaluating best practices in migration health
Author/s: Tarissa Mitchell, Deborah Lee, Michelle Weinberg, Christina Phares, Nicola James, Kittisak Amornpaisarnloet, Lalita Aumpipat, Gretchen Cooley, Anita Davies, Valerie Daw Tin Shwe, Vasil Gajdadziev, Olga Gorbacheva, Chutharat Khwan-Niam, Alexander Klosovsky, Waritorn Madilokkowit, Diana Martin, Naing Zaw Htun Myint, Thi Ngoc Yen Nguyen, Thomas Nutman, Elise O’Connell, Luis Ortega, Sugunya Prayadsab, Chetdanai Srimanee, Wasant Supakunatom, Vattanachai Vesessmith, William Stauffer
With an unprecedented number of displaced persons worldwide, strategies for improving the health of migrating populations are critical. United States–bound refugees undergo a required overseas medical examination to identify inadmissible conditions (e.g., tuberculosis) 2–6 months before resettlement, but it is limited in scope and may miss important, preventable infectious, chronic, or nutritional causes of morbidity. We sought to evaluate the feasibility and health impact…
Read more
A comparative cost analysis of the Vaccination Program for US-bound refugees
Author/s: Heesoo Joo, Brian Maskery, Tarissa Mitchell, Andrew Leidner, Alexander Klosovsky, Michelle Weinberg
- Background: Vaccination Program for US-bound Refugees (VPR) currently provides one or two doses of some age-specific Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP)-recommended vaccines to US-bound refugees prior to departure.
- Methods: We quantified and compared the full vaccination costs for refugees using two scenarios: (1) the baseline of no VPR and (2) the current situation with VPR. Under the first scenario, refugees would be…
Partnerships that Facilitate a Refugee's Journey to Wellbeing
Author/s: Nina Marano, Abbey E. Wojno, William M. Stauffer, Michelle Weinberg, Alexander Klosovsky, J. Daniel Ballew, Sharmila Shetty, Susan Cookson, Patricia Walker, Martin S. Cetron
The current global refugee crisis involves 65.3 million persons who have been displaced from their homes or countries of origin. While escaping immediate harm may be their first priority, displaced people go on to face numerous health risks, including trauma and injuries, malnutrition, infectious diseases, exacerbation of existing chronic diseases, and mental health conditions. This crisis highlights the importance of building capacity among health-care providers, scientists, and…
Read more
Economic Analysis of the Impact of Overseas and Domestic Treatment and Screening Options for Intestinal Helminth Infection among US-Bound Refugees from Asia
Author/s: Brian Maskery, Margaret S. Coleman, Michelle Weinberg, Weigong Zhou, Lisa Rotz, Alexander Klosovsky, Paul T. Cantey, LeAnne M. Fox, Martin S. Cetron, William M. Stauffer
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.
…
Read more