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!