Jessica Saifee, Carlos Franco-Paredes, Steven R Lowenstein
{"title":"Refugee Health During COVID-19 and Future Pandemics.","authors":"Jessica Saifee, Carlos Franco-Paredes, Steven R Lowenstein","doi":"10.1007/s40475-021-00245-2","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose of review: </strong>This commentary summarizes recent literature pertaining to healthcare challenges and needs during the current pandemic among refugees and asylum seekers residing in a host country. We conducted a literature review to identify barriers to shielding these structurally marginalized populations from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.</p><p><strong>Recent findings: </strong>Many populations, including refugees, migrants, and asylum seekers, endure structural vulnerabilities in refugee camps and during their resettlement. These structural vulnerabilities include fear of contacting the healthcare system, cultural differences, housing insecurity, food insecurity, discrimination, lack of health insurance, health illiteracy and lack of readily available, and culturally appropriate educational materials. During pandemics, displaced persons suffer disproportionately from poorly managed chronic diseases, economic hardships isolation, and mental illnesses, in addition to the threats posed by the infectious agent.</p><p><strong>Summary: </strong>Underserved groups, including refugee populations, shoulder a disproportionate burden of disease during pandemics. In order to mitigate the impact of preventable chronic illnesses and also reduce the spread of COVID-19 and other easily-transmissible and deadly viruses during pandemics, governments and public health authorities need to implement policies that allow refugees, asylum seekers, and displaced persons to be fully incorporated into their respective healthcare systems, so that they can be supported and protected and to reduce the amplifying networks of transmission.</p>","PeriodicalId":37441,"journal":{"name":"Current Tropical Medicine Reports","volume":"8 3","pages":"1-4"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6000,"publicationDate":"2021-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1007/s40475-021-00245-2","citationCount":"23","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Current Tropical Medicine Reports","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s40475-021-00245-2","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2021/7/16 0:00:00","PubModel":"Epub","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"INFECTIOUS DISEASES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 23
Abstract
Purpose of review: This commentary summarizes recent literature pertaining to healthcare challenges and needs during the current pandemic among refugees and asylum seekers residing in a host country. We conducted a literature review to identify barriers to shielding these structurally marginalized populations from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Recent findings: Many populations, including refugees, migrants, and asylum seekers, endure structural vulnerabilities in refugee camps and during their resettlement. These structural vulnerabilities include fear of contacting the healthcare system, cultural differences, housing insecurity, food insecurity, discrimination, lack of health insurance, health illiteracy and lack of readily available, and culturally appropriate educational materials. During pandemics, displaced persons suffer disproportionately from poorly managed chronic diseases, economic hardships isolation, and mental illnesses, in addition to the threats posed by the infectious agent.
Summary: Underserved groups, including refugee populations, shoulder a disproportionate burden of disease during pandemics. In order to mitigate the impact of preventable chronic illnesses and also reduce the spread of COVID-19 and other easily-transmissible and deadly viruses during pandemics, governments and public health authorities need to implement policies that allow refugees, asylum seekers, and displaced persons to be fully incorporated into their respective healthcare systems, so that they can be supported and protected and to reduce the amplifying networks of transmission.
期刊介绍:
Current Tropical Medicine Reports provides expert views on recent advances in the field of tropical medicine in a clear and readable form. This journal offers reviews by domestic and international contributors that highlight the most important, recent papers and findings related to this specific field. We accomplish this by appointing renowned leaders in major tropical medicine subject areas to select topics addressing virology, bacteriology, parasitology, entomology, immunology, cell and molecular biology, epidemiology, ecology, behavioral science and clinical medicine for review by experts who assess the latest developments and highlight significant papers published over the last few years on their topics. These review articles also stress recently published papers of importance in the references, which are accompanied by annotations explaining their importance. In addition to these Section Editors, our international Editorial Board ensures our journal upholds its standards.