health concerns in refugee camps group one presentation

Health Concerns in

Refugee Camps

By Katherine MacGregor, Rachel Ding, Rachel Rodrigo, and Jill Rankin

Communicable

Diseases in Refugee Camps in

East AfricaBy Jill Rankin

Acute Respiratory Infections (ARI)

• At risk because of overcrowding, suboptimal living conditions, and malnutrition.

• High infection rate among children under 5

• Viral infections can cause chronic asthma

• Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and adenovirus ( Adv)

• Pneumonia

• People in camps more at risk because of the camp system.

Malaria

• Caused by infected mosquitos who carry a parasite called Plasmodium and bite the host.

• Two thirds of worlds refugees are living in malaria endemic regions

• Women and children most at risk

• Significant cause of mortality and morbidity among refugees

• Solution- prevent infection by use of mosquito nets and mosquito repellent with deet.

Diarrheal diseases

• Cholera

• Dysentery

• Result from?

• Accounted for 40% of deaths in acute phase of emergency in these camps.

• Source of infection: polluted water sources, contamination of water during transport and storage, scarcity of soap, shared cooking pots, contaminated foods.

• 60% from Cholera and 40% caused by shigella dysentery.

Measles

• Often endemics occur because of emergencies

• Overcrowding causes fast transmission

• Frequency of severe measles higher in malnourished children

• Blindness occurs because of vitamin A deficiency

Non-Communicable Diseases in Refugee

CampsBy Rachel Rodrigo

School of Thought

• Change in Global Understanding• View and treatment

• Change in Global Health Regulation• Adjust World Health Organization• United Nations Policy • What are the limitations of this policy?

• Why?• How can they change?

Chronic Disease

• Lack of knowledge• Heavy usage of tobacco

• Lack of treatment options (resources)

• Types• PPD• Hepatitis B• Heart Disease• New disease spreading with ‘globalization’

and ‘development’

Plan of Action

• Education• For both recipients & doctors

• Severity• Treatment• Precautions

• Change in Global View• Policy Changes• Health Changes

Psychosocial/Mental Health

Concerns in Refugee Camps

By Rachel Ding

Why Address Mental Health?

• National indicators & Personal accounts • Attest to the significance of mental

health issues

• Psychosocial needs • Basic emotional and relational

needs

• Mental health’s relation to physical health• Psychiatric distress affects

physical well-being

Underlying Causes & Effects of Mental Health

Issues• Causes

• War trauma, Post-traumatic stress, Depression

• Struggle to process memories of war, violence, family tragedies, etc.

• Psychiatric distress especially among youth

• Effects• Intra- and inter-community conflicts• Stagnation

• From the individual to community level

Gaps & Limitations in Mental Healthcare

Delivery• Scant availability of services

• Scarcity of mental health workers available for aid

• Limited uptake of services • Due to social stigmas associated with

mental illness

• Predetermined coping strategies • Silence, stoicism and suppression• Keep many in stagnation

Approaches to Addressing Mental

Illness• Contextualizing mental issues

• Socially & Culturally

• Performing psychosocial needs assessments • Ex. Cairo, Egypt

• Classroom-based group intervention programs• Ex. Trauma Center based out of Boston,

MA

Solutions to Health

Concerns in Refugee CampsBy Katherine MacGregor

Structural Issues

• Education• Teaching good habits etc.• Making people aware of health threats

• Sanitation and hygiene• Keeping disease from spreading• Access to clean water

• Malnutrition, malnourishment, dehydration• Building habitants’ immunity so they can

avoid and combat disease

Immunization

• Proactivity to problems• Getting people immunized before disease

impacts habitants of camp

• Reactivity to problem• Immunizations in the face on oncoming

epidemic

• Issue: Patient health records• Tracking who has been immunized and

who hasn’t been (and against what)

Distribution of Resources

• Equity issues• Who should be given health aid? • Who get immunized?• How to make sure everyone who needs aid

is getting it (i.e. marginalized groups)

• Logistics• Difference between emergency situations

and long term situations• How to distribute aid amongst a group of

transient people?

The EndThank-you!