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Migrant health


Migrant health, refugee health or immigrant health is the field of study on the health effects experienced by people who have moved to another area of the world, either by choice or as a result of unsafe circumstances such as war. The health of these displaced populations is mainly affected by infectious disease, mental health, and chronic diseases that are common in the country in which these displaced persons eventually settle. This is largely due to factors such as the migrant's geographic origin, conditions of refugee camps where the migrant lived, and personal, physical, and psychological conditions of the migrant, either pre-existing or acquired while traveling from their homeland to a camp or eventually to their new home. It is common for people entering new countries for resettlement to undergo a comprehensive health assessment - In the United States, The Federal Refugee Act of 1980 recommends that all refugees are administered proper health screening. The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) housed in the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is charged with funding and oversight of this effort. Three medical interventions are either required or recommended in order to contain infectious disease and reduce the medical burdens that may be associated with refugee resettlement. First is a mandatory overseas screening for all refugees and immigrants, then a recommended domestic screening for refugees, and finally a required medical component to the Adjustment of Status (Green Card) process.

The US Public Health Service requires a health screening for all immigrants and refugees prior to departure from their country of origin. Here, refugees undergo the most thorough screening. These medical exams are performed by approximately 400 physicians [called Panel Physicians] selected by the US Department of State (DOS) consular officials. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Division of Global Migration and Quarantine (DGMQ) provide the technical instructions and guidance to the physicians conducting the overseas exams. The screening is primarily aimed at detecting infectious diseases of public health concern. The overseas exam includes a medical history inquiry, physical exam, chest x-ray for persons older than 14 years of age (Southeast Asian refugees older than 2 years of age), and specific lab tests. Testing routinely includes screening for syphilis and HIV in people over 15 years of age.


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