Diphtheria Infection among Rohingya Refugees: Impact and Interventions

This presentation discusses the impact of diphtheria infection among Rohingya refugees and suggests interventions to control the spread of the disease. It also provides recommendations for improving the health status of the refugees.

Public Health

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 In the year 1948, Myanmar became independent and then, it has been
decided that the whole process of the migration is illegal.
The whole population of Rohingya was excluded from the citizenship
as well according to the Union Citizenship Act.
As per the data and information collected from the satellites, it has
been observed that the villages of Rohingya have been seen burning
and because of this the Rohingya refugees blame to the military of
Myanmar but as per military, the scene is something different.
The military says that the burning and destroying is done by the
refugees themselves.

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Brief of diphtheria infection
 Diphtheria is considered as an infection that is caused by the
bacteria named Corynebacterium diphtheria.
 It can happen to anyone and a major factor of this is that it can
be directly transferred from one person to another.
 After getting the exposure, it starts affecting the person and the
impact can be seen from two to five days.
 Some very basic and common symptoms of this can be
considered as sore throat, fever, nausea etc.
 Corynebacterium diphtheriae produces a sort of toxin in the
body of the person that is further responsible for destroying the
tissues and cells in a human body

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 Along with the tissues, it also affects the organs of the body.
 When it is being avoided by the person for a longer time, it can
actually affect negative on the body of the person because if it is
being ignored for more time, it can actually become responsible for
causing ulcers.
 It is a serious infection which is unavoidable.
 There has been observed in various cases that this infection has
lead to death and more people were children who have gone
through it. It can also lead to some complications such as damaging
of brain, paralysis etc.

Epidemiological information about Diphtheria
infection among Rohingya refugees
 Diphtheria is considered as a sort of bacterial infection which has
a serious influence on the mucus membrane of the nose as well as
of threat.
 The Rohingya refugees had to face many troubles, out of which
some basic were that for about one million people, they were not
having any food or source of it.
 They were requiring food aid. In Cox's Bazaar, it has been
observed that diphtheria infection is spreading widely.
 It has also been warned by the World Health Organisation (WHO)

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 As per the statistics, it has been observed that for about 110 cases has
been suspected including a few deaths as well.
 Some initiatives have been started by the government of Bangladesh.
A vaccine campaign has been launched by the government of
Bangladesh and in this initiative, various other organisations have
also supported them such as the UNICEF, GAVI etc.
 There are various children in the category of the Rohingya refugees
who are suffering from the same as some temporary settlements have
been organised by the authorities to provide some sort of help and
support to these children of the Rohingya refugees.

Impact of diphtheria infection within Rohingya
refugees
 It has been observed that the influence of diphtheria is very wide
and specially, it impacted a wide range of children.
 It is because a majority range was found between five to fourteen
years old.
 As per the refugees of Rohingya, they have to keep their eyes
open mostly and thus, they can be more prone to the infections,
viruses etc.
 An outbreak in diphtheria has been started observing in the Cox
bazaar of Bangladesh and it affected many lives.

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 It was a very poor situation for people because these refugees have
been migrated from Myanmar to Bangladesh after this much of
hectic as they were not being treated well there and also were even
excluded from the citizenship as well.
 So, after this much of trauma that have been already happened in
the lives of people who migrated from Myanmar to Bangladesh,
they get affected by diphtheria.
 Usually it affected much amount of children from that range of
people.

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 Although the government of Bangladesh started various initiatives
for providing treatment to them but some even died because of it.
 It is because a thick layer gets in the throat of the person.
 In Myanmar, there were very few public health care and centres
where people can get treatment for some diseases, so there was a
less possibility that the people can get proper vaccines.
 Diphtheria is a transferable diseases and can be caused even by
direct contact.
 Usually the toxin it makes is classified as a sort of poison because
initially only, it starts causing various complications such as
abnormal heart beat, swollen throat etc.

Approaches and interventions for controlling
diphtheria infection
Although there are various methods that can be involved to control the
diphtheria infection but some well known and common examples
of it can be considered as the following :
 The person should wear clothes in which the skin can breathe
easily. It is very important because one of the preventive measure
of this is that the person should sweat properly. It is required to
maintain the temperature of the body

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 Proper monitoring of the intake of calorie is important because
when the internal system of the person can stay fit, there are very
fewer chances of the person get any thick layer in their mouth,
which further cause more issues.
 Also, managing a proper and balanced diet is very important.
Like if the person already suffering from diphtheria infection,
they should not stop consuming food just because it hurts, rather
they should consume the food in smaller amount.
 Monitoring of the weight properly is also important because it
helps the person in analysing whether they are consuming a
healthy and proper diet or not. So, the person can keep monitor
the weight on a regular basis so that if anything seems to go
wrong, then it can be prevented.

Recommendations for making improvements in
health status of Rohingya refugees
There are various ways by which the health status of the Rohingya
refugees can be improved and some very common examples of it
can be discussed as following :
 Analysing the basic health issue, that is diphtheria is important. It
is because when the person can get aware of all the symptoms
and factors that causes the issue, then only it can be prevented.
 After analysing the root cause of the issue, it is important to
focus on the factors that leads to the diphtheria infection.

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 When factors have been analysed properly, then one can
investigate for different ways so that they can be able to prevent
it. Preventive measures can be analysed only after the root cause
has been defined.
 The person can start following a healthy and balanced diet plan
which is full of all the required nutrients so that the person can
stay healthy enough that they stay away from diphtheria and
infections like this.
 The refugees from Rohingya should have to maintain a proper
sanitation so that they must no go through any sort of infections
because one infection can lead to further more infections and the
diphtheria infection is already transferable, because it can be
transferred by direct contact as well. So, maintaining sanitation is
very important for staying prevented from such infections.

CONCLUSION
 It can be concluded that Rohingya refugees have been migrated
from Myanmar to Bangladesh because they were facing enormous
issues there.
 Also, they were excluded from the citizenship as well, so after so
many troubles, they have been migrated from Myanmar to
Bangladesh.
 Also, the diphtheria infection in the refugees of the Rohingya has
also been involved along with what has been the impact of the
diphtheria infection on them.
 Along with this, various health approaches and interventions have
also been included in the report.

REFERENCES
 Crabtree, K., 2010. Economic challenges and coping mechanisms in protracted displacement: A case study of
the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. Journal of Muslim Mental Health. 5(1). pp.41-58.
 Kiragu, E., Rosi, A. L. and Morris, T., 2011. States of denial: A review of UNHCR’s response to the
protracted situation of stateless Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. Policy Development and Evaluation
Service, UNHCR. Retrieved from: http://www. unhcr. org/4ee754c19. Pdf.
 Palmer, V., 2011. Analysing cultural proximity: Islamic relief worldwide and Rohingya refugees in
Bangladesh. Development in Practice. 21(1). pp.96-108.
 Parnini, S. N., 2013. The crisis of the Rohingya as a Muslim minority in Myanmar and bilateral relations with
Bangladesh. Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs. 33(2). pp.281-297.
 Rahman, U., 2010. The Rohingya refugee: A security dilemma for Bangladesh. Journal of Immigrant &
Refugee Studies. 8(2). pp.233-239.
 Ullah, A. A., 2011. Rohingya refugees to Bangladesh: Historical exclusions and contemporary
marginalization. Journal of Immigrant & Refugee Studies. 9(2). pp.139-161.

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