Public Health Care for Refugees: Challenges and Solutions

PUBLIC HEALTH CARE
REFUGEES STATUS

KEY CONCEPTS
 Refugee – these are persons who are forced out
to cross their boundaries and cant come back
home safely
 Internally displaced persons – these are same
as refugees but have but gone beyond
international boundary
 Asylum seekers- these persons requesting for
recognition as a refugees
 Currently there are16.1 million from the UNHCR
data while under the UNRWAs, there are 5.2
million more while there is 65.3 million persons
who are displaced forcefully.

STATE OF REFUGEE
 Characteristics of refugee is poverty which affects
health status (Adler et al, 2008).
 Common factors of deaths in the camps is
diarrheal diseases, respiratory infections and
malnutrition cases, (Toole & Waldman, 1997)
 Increased rates of HIV infections
 Sex workers engagement is rampant in the camps
compounded by lack of adequate reproductive
health care, (Kia & Ellis, 2007).
 High trends are varied in terms of the camps
 Camps under UNHCR watch have high medical
coverage(UNHCR, 2001)

INTERVENTIONS IMPLEMENTED
UNCONDITIONAL CASH TRANSFERS IN JORDAN
 The UNHCR has provided about 11,000 vulnerable
refugees in Jordan with local bank
 The program has maintained the financial stability of
refugees
 Thru financial stability families are able to buy and
other essential needs items in refugee camps
 Norwegian Refugee Council together with UNHCR
provided cash grants support to families in Lebanon
to host Syrian refugees
 The grant was meant to rehabilitate the houses with
minimum living conditions including sanitation
facilities
 This ensured that families are housed properly and
CASH GRANTS FOR SHELTER REHABILITATION
FOR HOST FAMILIES