Publications Search

Use of Point-of-Care Handheld Ultrasound for Splenomegaly in United States-Bound Refugees: A Novel Technology with Far-Reaching Implications

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…

Immunisation status of UK-bound refugees between January, 2018, and October, 2019: a retrospective, population-based cross-sectional study

Summary

Background
WHO’s new Immunization Agenda 2030 places a focus on ensuring migrants and other marginalised groups are offered catch-up vaccinations across the life-course. Yet, it is not known to what extent specific groups, such as refugees, are immunised according to host country schedules, and the implications for policy and practice. We aimed to assess the immunisation coverage of UK-bound refugees undergoing International Organization for…

‘It is a disease which comes and kills directly’: What refugees know about COVID-19 and key influences of compliance with preventive measures

Abstract

Background
Refugees are at increased risk for COVID-19 infection in part due to their living conditions, which make it harder to adopt and adhere to widely accepted preventive measures. Little empirical evidence exists about what refugees know about COVID-19 and what they do to prevent infection. This study explored what refugee women and their health care workers understand about COVID-19 prevention, the extent of their compliance to public health…

Health and Illness in Newly Arrived Migrants and Refugees Arriving at Europe's Shores: Analysis of the Electronic Personal Health Record System in Seven Countries

Background: The electronic Personal Health (ePHR) Record is a health information system for newly arriving migrants that has been implemented in seven European countries (Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Serbia and Slovenia). This is a cross-sectional study of all migrants who attended as part of the health assessment programme established in the reception centres between 2016 and 2019 that provides a comprehensive overview of illness and health in the migrant cohort.…

Prevalence of Malaria Parasite Infections among U.S.-Bound Congolese Refugees with and without Splenomegaly

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…

“We have a lot of home deliveries” A qualitative study on the impact of COVID-19 on access to and utilization of reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health care among refugee women in urban Eastleigh, Kenya

Background
Little is known about how pregnant refugee women, and the frontline health care workers who serve them, are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of health, and health service access. Women refugees are classified as a vulnerable group with regard to pregnancy outcomes and access to maternal care and may be disproportionally at risk for COVID-19 infection as they are likely to face unique barriers to information and access to reproductive health services during…

An immunization program for US-bound refugees: Development, challenges, and opportunities 2012–present

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 of refugees and migrants from former Soviet Union countries in the Russian Federation: a narrative review

Abstract

This narrative review was conducted to synthesize and summarize available up-to-date evidence on current health status, including both non-communicable diseases and infectious diseases, of migrants and refugees from the former Soviet Union countries in the Russian Federation. Epidemiological and sociological studies with one or more determinants of the health, as well as relevant qualitative studies characterizing risk factors, well-being indicators, and lifestyles…

Health profile of adult special immigrant visa holders arriving from Iraq and Afghanistan to the United States, 2009–2017: A cross-sectional analysis

Abstract

Background
Between 2,000 and 19,000 Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) holders (SIVH) from Iraq and Afghanistan resettle in the United States annually. Despite the increase in SIV admissions to the US over recent years, little is known about the health conditions in SIV populations. We assessed the burden of select communicable and noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in SIV adults to guide recommendations to clinicians in the US.

Methods and…

Health challenges in refugee resettlement: An innovative multi-sector partnership to improve the continuum of care for resettled refugees

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…