write effect of migration on health and social aspects
Answers
Conditions affecting health in the country of origin and during the journey may include war, torture, loss of relatives, long stays in refugee camps (which may have poor sanitation and overcrowding), imprisonment, and socioeconomic hardship. After arriving in the host country migrants may experience imprisonment, long-lasting asylum seeking processes, language barriers, lack of knowledge about health services, loss of social status, discrimination and marginalisation.
Kristiansen and colleagues (2007) note that coping with a new language, as well as a new political and social context can be extremely stressful. The effect of migration on the mental health of individuals depends on the magnitude of strains in the recipient country and can be mediated by the migrant’s social resources (i.e. social networks, language skills, education level, etc.).
Migration may also affect risk perception and risk behaviour. Feelings of loss and psycho-social issues related to lower social positions, unemployment and being in a minority may lead to a feeling of lack of connection between current risk behaviour and future health effects (i.e. migrants may be forced to focus on their current feelings rather than the future health effects of their current health behaviour). For example, a new migrant, separated from friends and family in an urban environment (feeling more anonymous and less constrained by social norms) may turn to prostitution or drugs as a way to escape loneliness, frustration and social isolation.
Answer:
The health problems of refugees and migrants are similar to those of the rest of the population, although some groups may have a higher prevalence. The most frequent health problems of newly arrived refugees and migrants include accidental injuries, hypothermia, burns, gastrointestinal illnesses, cardiovascular events, pregnancy- and delivery-related complications, diabetes and hypertension. Female refugees and migrants frequently face specific challenges, particularly in maternal, newborn and child health, sexual and reproductive health, and violence. The exposure of refugees and migrants to the risks associated with population movements – psychosocial disorders, reproductive health problems, higher newborn mortality, drug abuse, nutrition disorders, alcoholism and exposure to violence – increase their vulnerability to noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). The key issue with regard to NCDs is the interruption of care, due either to lack of access or to the decimation of health care systems and providers; displacement results in interruption of the continuous treatment that is crucial for chronic conditions.
Vulnerable individuals, especially children, are prone to respiratory infections and gastrointestinal illnesses because of poor living conditions, suboptimal hygiene and deprivation during migration, and they require access to proper health care. Poor hygienic conditions can also lead to skin infections. Furthermore, the number of casualties and deaths among refugees and migrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea has increased rapidly, with over 3100 people estimated to have died or gone missing at sea in the first 10 months of 2015, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
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