INFECTION AMONG IMMIGRANTS AND REFUGEES: PREVALENCE AND PROSPECTS FOR CONTROL

Abstract

Migration and travel have been a major and dominant human activity over the years for both individual and collective purpose. The desire to seek greener pasture, good education, business, tourism and fear of conflict has been the major driver of
migration. The Global Trends Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported that by the end of 2017 approximately 68.5 million people were forcibly displaced across the globe, including 25.4 million refugees, 40 million internally displaced persons (IDPs), and 3.1 million asylum seekers. Immigrants and refugees are major contributing factors in the spread of infectious diseases from one geographic location to another. This is as a result of exposure to infections exposed to in their country of origin and contact during migration. Infectious diseases notable among immigrants and refugees include sexually and non-sexually transmitted infection such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, syphilis, gonorrhea, hepatitis, malaria, Corona virus, influenza, helminthiasis, leprosy and Ebola virus. These infectious diseases are mainly prevalent in most developing nations with little burdens in developed nations. Poor health conditions of immigrants and refugees usually result in low vaccination coverage, with incomplete history of vaccination and documentation of prior vaccine receipt. Medical screening and immunization are key strategies to reduce the risk of infectious diseases among immigrants and refugee