Primary Care for Refugee Children Mary Fabio, MD, Khoi Dang, MD, Meera Siddharth, MD, Alison C. Tribble, MD, Toby Measham, MD, MSc, Jaswant Guzder, MD, Ce´cile Rousseau, MD, MSc, Laura Pacione, MD, MSc, Morganne Blais-McPherson, BSc, Lucie Nadeau, MD, MSc
Foreword: Primary Care for Refugee Children In 2012, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) stated that children make up 46% of the 15 million refugees in the world today. The United States offers resettlement to approximately 80,000 refugees a year, a tiny percentage of the world’s refugees, but the largest number accepted for permanent resettlement by any country. The refugee family’s journey tells the story of the political unrest and war. It is not surprising that the stressors of violence, uncertainty, and displacement from home and culture may lead to worse mental and physical health for refugees. Providing thoughtful, culturally sensitive, and high-quality care to this adverse population is the job of a growing national group of clinicians who, over the last several years, have dedicated themselves to understanding the health care needs of refugees. Therefore, it seemed timely to focus this edition of Current Problems in Pediatric and Adolescent Health on the unique issues that we should be aware of in providing “Primary Care for Refugee Children.” The introduction gives us the United Nations’ definition of “refugee” and the process that refugees go through to resettle in the USA. In the next section, we learn that children refugees
Curr Probl PediatrAdolesc Health Care, August 2014
are at an increased risk for growth and nutritional deficits. The appropriate screening and treatment is discussed. With under nutrition and disruptions in medical services, refugee children are at risk for infectious diseases. In “Strategies in Infectious Disease Prevention and Management among US-bound Refugee Children” the “usual suspects” of tuberculosis and malaria are reviewed in detail. In addition, there is a very nice review of intestinal parasites and the 13 disabling or chronic infections that infect nearly 1 billion people worldwide, known as the neglected tropical diseases. Finally, there is an important section that focuses on “Supporting Psychological Wellbeing and Positive Adaptation following Migration” for refugee children and their families. The authors give us a child’s view of the refugee’s experience with compelling case illustrations to drive home the important concepts of care. I hope that this edition will be helpful in thinking about the approach to the refugee family. Therefore, this edition is meant to be a practical guide, a primer of sorts, on the approach to the refugee child and family. I hope you find it useful.
Louis M. Bell, MD
185
Foreword: Primary Care for Refugee Children In 2012, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) stated that children make up 46% of the 15 million refugees in the world today. The United States offers resettlement to approximately 80,000 refugees a year, a tiny percentage of the world’s refugees, but the largest number accepted for permanent resettlement by any country. The refugee family’s journey tells the story of the political unrest and war. It is not surprising that the stressors of violence, uncertainty, and displacement from home and culture may lead to worse mental and physical health for refugees. Providing thoughtful, culturally sensitive, and high-quality care to this adverse population is the job of a growing national group of clinicians who, over the last several years, have dedicated themselves to understanding the health care needs of refugees. Therefore, it seemed timely to focus this edition of Current Problems in Pediatric and Adolescent Health on the unique issues that we should be aware of in providing “Primary Care for Refugee Children.” The introduction gives us the United Nations’ definition of “refugee” and the process that refugees go through to resettle in the USA. In the next section, we learn that children refugees
Curr Probl PediatrAdolesc Health Care, August 2014
are at an increased risk for growth and nutritional deficits. The appropriate screening and treatment is discussed. With under nutrition and disruptions in medical services, refugee children are at risk for infectious diseases. In “Strategies in Infectious Disease Prevention and Management among US-bound Refugee Children” the “usual suspects” of tuberculosis and malaria are reviewed in detail. In addition, there is a very nice review of intestinal parasites and the 13 disabling or chronic infections that infect nearly 1 billion people worldwide, known as the neglected tropical diseases. Finally, there is an important section that focuses on “Supporting Psychological Wellbeing and Positive Adaptation following Migration” for refugee children and their families. The authors give us a child’s view of the refugee’s experience with compelling case illustrations to drive home the important concepts of care. I hope that this edition will be helpful in thinking about the approach to the refugee family. Therefore, this edition is meant to be a practical guide, a primer of sorts, on the approach to the refugee child and family. I hope you find it useful.
Louis M. Bell, MD
185
