Medical conditions among Iraqi refugees in Jordan: data from the United Nations Refugee Assistance Information System
OBJECTIVE: To determine the range and burden of health services utilization among Iraqi refugees receiving health assistance in Jordan, a country of first asylum. METHODS: Medical conditions, diagnosed in accordance with the tenth revision of the International classification of diseases, were active...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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The World Health Organization
2012-06-01
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| Series: | Bulletin of the World Health Organization |
| Online Access: | http://www.scielosp.org/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0042-96862012000600012&lng=en&tlng=en |
| _version_ | 1797281936393109504 |
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| author | Farrah J Mateen Marco Carone Huda Al-Saedy Sayre Nyce Jad Ghosn Timothy Mutuerandu Robert E Black |
| author_facet | Farrah J Mateen Marco Carone Huda Al-Saedy Sayre Nyce Jad Ghosn Timothy Mutuerandu Robert E Black |
| author_sort | Farrah J Mateen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | OBJECTIVE: To determine the range and burden of health services utilization among Iraqi refugees receiving health assistance in Jordan, a country of first asylum. METHODS: Medical conditions, diagnosed in accordance with the tenth revision of the International classification of diseases, were actively monitored from 1January to 31December 2010 using a pilot centralized database in Jordan called the Refugee Assistance Information System. FINDINGS: There were 27 166 medical visits by 7642 Iraqi refugees (mean age: 37.4 years; 49% male; 70% from Baghdad; 6% disabled; 3% with a history of torture). Chronic diseases were common, including essential hypertension (22% of refugees), visual disturbances (12%), joint disorders (11%) and type II diabetes mellitus (11%). The most common reasons for seeking acute care were upper respiratory tract infection (11%), supervision of normal pregnancy (4%) and urinary disorders (3%). The conditions requiring the highest number of visits per refugee were cerebrovascular disease (1.46 visits), senile cataract (1.46) and glaucoma (1.44). Sponsored care included 31 747 referrals or consultations to a specialty service, 18 432 drug dispensations, 2307 laboratory studies and 1090 X-rays. The specialties most commonly required were ophthalmology, dentistry, gynaecology and orthopaedic surgery. CONCLUSION: Iraqi refugees in countries of first asylum and resettlement require targeted health services, health education and sustainable prevention and control strategies for predominantly chronic diseases. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T17:04:39Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-34ce4f2335b24de48866d65ef7fe62ac |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0042-9686 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T17:04:39Z |
| publishDate | 2012-06-01 |
| publisher | The World Health Organization |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Bulletin of the World Health Organization |
| spelling | doaj.art-34ce4f2335b24de48866d65ef7fe62ac2024-03-03T02:49:41ZengThe World Health OrganizationBulletin of the World Health Organization0042-96862012-06-0190644445110.2471/BLT.11.097048S0042-96862012000600012Medical conditions among Iraqi refugees in Jordan: data from the United Nations Refugee Assistance Information SystemFarrah J Mateen0Marco Carone1Huda Al-Saedy2Sayre Nyce3Jad Ghosn4Timothy Mutuerandu5Robert E Black6Johns Hopkins UniversityUniversity of CaliforniaUnited Nations High Commissioner for RefugeesUnited Nations High Commissioner for RefugeesUnited Nations High Commissioner for RefugeesUnited Nations High Commissioner for RefugeesJohns Hopkins UniversityOBJECTIVE: To determine the range and burden of health services utilization among Iraqi refugees receiving health assistance in Jordan, a country of first asylum. METHODS: Medical conditions, diagnosed in accordance with the tenth revision of the International classification of diseases, were actively monitored from 1January to 31December 2010 using a pilot centralized database in Jordan called the Refugee Assistance Information System. FINDINGS: There were 27 166 medical visits by 7642 Iraqi refugees (mean age: 37.4 years; 49% male; 70% from Baghdad; 6% disabled; 3% with a history of torture). Chronic diseases were common, including essential hypertension (22% of refugees), visual disturbances (12%), joint disorders (11%) and type II diabetes mellitus (11%). The most common reasons for seeking acute care were upper respiratory tract infection (11%), supervision of normal pregnancy (4%) and urinary disorders (3%). The conditions requiring the highest number of visits per refugee were cerebrovascular disease (1.46 visits), senile cataract (1.46) and glaucoma (1.44). Sponsored care included 31 747 referrals or consultations to a specialty service, 18 432 drug dispensations, 2307 laboratory studies and 1090 X-rays. The specialties most commonly required were ophthalmology, dentistry, gynaecology and orthopaedic surgery. CONCLUSION: Iraqi refugees in countries of first asylum and resettlement require targeted health services, health education and sustainable prevention and control strategies for predominantly chronic diseases.http://www.scielosp.org/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0042-96862012000600012&lng=en&tlng=en |
| spellingShingle | Farrah J Mateen Marco Carone Huda Al-Saedy Sayre Nyce Jad Ghosn Timothy Mutuerandu Robert E Black Medical conditions among Iraqi refugees in Jordan: data from the United Nations Refugee Assistance Information System Bulletin of the World Health Organization |
| title | Medical conditions among Iraqi refugees in Jordan: data from the United Nations Refugee Assistance Information System |
| title_full | Medical conditions among Iraqi refugees in Jordan: data from the United Nations Refugee Assistance Information System |
| title_fullStr | Medical conditions among Iraqi refugees in Jordan: data from the United Nations Refugee Assistance Information System |
| title_full_unstemmed | Medical conditions among Iraqi refugees in Jordan: data from the United Nations Refugee Assistance Information System |
| title_short | Medical conditions among Iraqi refugees in Jordan: data from the United Nations Refugee Assistance Information System |
| title_sort | medical conditions among iraqi refugees in jordan data from the united nations refugee assistance information system |
| url | http://www.scielosp.org/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0042-96862012000600012&lng=en&tlng=en |
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