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!