Publications Search

Health status of returning refugees, internally displaced persons, and the host community in a post-conflict district in northern Sri Lanka: a cross-sectional survey

Abstract 
 
Background Although the adverse impacts of conflict-driven displacement on health are well-documented, less is known about how health status and associated risk factors differ according to displacement experience. This study quantifies health status and quality of life among returning refugees, internally displaced persons, and the host community in a post-conflict district in Northern Sri Lanka, and explores associated risk factors. 
 
…

Reflections on migrant and refugee health in Malaysia and the ASEAN region

Migrants and refugees face challenges accessing both healthcare and good social determinants of health in Malaysia. Participants at the “Migrant and Refugee Health in Malaysia workshop, Kuala Lumpur, 9-10 November 2017” scoped these challenges within the regional ASEAN context, identifying gaps in knowledge and practical steps forward to improve the evidence base in the Malaysia.

Impact of enhanced health interventions for United States–bound refugees: Evaluating best practices in migration health

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…

Study on returning refugees from South India

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.

…

Alcohol use among Bhutanese refugees in Nepal

The purpose of this paper is to explore factors associated with alcohol use disorders (AUDs) among Bhutanese refugees in Nepal, where there has been a mass third-country resettlement operation in place since 2007.

Nutrition Surveillance Report (Issue No. 4, January–December 2013)

This report presents child growth and malnutrition status of refugee children examined by the IOM Health Assessment Programme at select locations namely Ethiopia, Iraq, Jordan, Kenya, Malaysia, Nepal, Thailand, Rwanda, South Africa and Uganda. The report analyses prevalence of three key indicators for protein–energy malnutrition, namely, weight-for-height or wasting, height-for-age or stunting, and weight-for-age or underweight. Data for this analysis is generated from the…

Tuberculosis Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices in Bhutanese Refugees

Tuberculosis is common in the UNHCR Bhutanese refugee camps. The IOM has identified that refugees who are not actively screened for TB through third country resettlement protocols have sputum smears with increased infectiousness. This suggests that refugees waited a prolonged period of time between the onset of symptoms and the start of treatment. This increases the risk of transmission to others due to higher levels of bacteria in the sputum and longer periods of exposure. Delay in seeking…

Nutrition Surveillance Reports: Health Assessment Programme (Issue No. 3, January–December 2012)

This report presents child growth and malnutrition status of refugee children examined by the IOM Health Assessment Programme at seven key locations around the world namely Ethiopia, Iraq, Jordan, Kenya, Malaysia, Nepal and Thailand. The report analyses prevalence of two key indicators for protein–energy malnutrition namely weight-for-height or wasting and height-for-age or stunting. Data for this analysis is generated from the IOM data management software called Migrant…

Lead poisoning in United States-bound refugee children: Thailand-Burma border, 2009

Background: Elevated blood lead levels lead to permanent neurocognitive sequelae in children. Resettled refugee children in the United States are considered at high risk for elevated blood lead levels, but the prevalence of and risk factors for elevated blood lead levels before resettlement have not been described.

Methods: Blood samples from children aged 6 months to 14 years from refugee camps in Thailand were tested for lead and hemoglobin. Sixty-seven children…