Health Care Issues for Refugee Children, Youth,  and Families

Refugee children, youth, and families are a unique population.  Not only have they lost their homes, friends, and families, but many have witnessed horrific events and some have suffered torture.  In addition, there are health concerns that may be specific to persons from specific countries or geographic areas and are not as familiar to health professionals in the United States.  Language, cultural, and socio-economic differences are a further challenge to accessing appropriate health care services.  Many refugees require an interpreter for a consultation; a task that often inappropriately falls to children or another family member.  Safe, accessible, culturally appropriate  health services are an important element in helping this population adjust to their new life. 

The BRYCS project is acquiring and centralizing resources concerning health issues for refugee children, youth, and families. The resources are often accompanied by descriptions from BRYCS, and include, when available, the full text available on the BRYCS website.  A sample of the resources in BRYCS, which are included in this month's featured search, are highlighted below.

Background on Potential Health Problems for Somali Bantu describes the health conditions and problems of Somali Bantu refugees who have resettled in the United States after spending considerable time in the Kakuma camp in Kenya. Some of the problems are not diagnosed until after the refugees reach the United States. Prepared by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Global Health Affairs, this report prepares state refugee coordinators, local resettlement organizations, and health care providers for the health problems they are most likely to confront among this refugee population.  In addition, the report addresses cultural attitudes concerning traditional health care remedies, reproductive health, and mental health as well as possible difficulties arising from language barriers. Also contained are suggestions for how resettlement and health care professionals can work most effectively with newly arrived refugees.

The publications Background on Potential Health Issues for Hmong Refugees from Wat Tham Krabok and Background on Potential Health Issues for Liberian Refugees are intended to better prepare and inform state refugee coordinators, state refugee health coordinators, local resettlement organizations and health care providers about the types of health concerns that may potentially affect the identified populations. The documents focus on the most likely health problems these refugees might face.

An important Web resource, Refugee Health ~ Immigrant Health, details the medical problems and health care needs of refugees and immigrants. The web site provides background on the number and origin of refugees and immigrants entering the United States, the resettlement process, and general health concerns. A database of infectious diseases, searchable alphabetically, by country, or by major presenting symptoms, provides information about distribution, transmission, and treatment. Many health topics and specific refugee and immigrant populations are addressed. Effective health programs tailored to these newcomers’ circumstances are based on an outreach model drawing on multiple community components in a coordinated “team” approach.

BRYCS will continue to update the clearinghouse as new materials are acquired, reviewed, and included. Please join us in making this possible by suggesting relevant resources. Click on the “Suggest a Resource” link on the BRYCS homepage, or call toll-free 1-888-572-6500—press #3 after the prompt. Or send an e-mail to Outreach & Information Coordinator Charles Evans at clearinghouse@brycs.org.

Last month's featured searches on Hmong refugees from Thailand and cultural awareness are available in the monthly archive, along with other past featured searches, monthly spotlights, and featured programs.