Morbidity pattern among refugees in Eastern Ethiopia
Bisrat, F.; Berhane, Y.; Mamo, A.; Asefa, E.
East African Medical Journal 72(11): 728-730
1995
ISSN/ISBN: 0012-835X PMID: 8904065 Document Number: 440525
In eastern Ethiopia, 1992 and 1993 health records from all 8 health units serving the refugees in refugee camps along Somali border were reviewed in a study of the morbidity pattern among the refugees. The information was to be used to plan refugee health services. 156,050 of the people visiting the health units were at least 5 years old, and 139,267 were less than 5 years old (the under-5 group). The overall annual morbidity rate stood at 798/1000. 15% of all refugees in these camps were less than 5 years old. Refugees under 5 years old were more likely to visit the health units in 1 year than older refugees (5 vs. 1-2). Diseases did not discriminate by sex. All age groups were vulnerable to diseases. The leading causes of illness for the under-5 group and the older refugees were respiratory diseases and diarrheal diseases (31.8% and 27.3% for under-5s and 34.9% and 8.5% for older refugees, respectively). Other conditions prevalent in both age-groups were malnutrition, injury, eye infection, and intestinal parasitic infestation. These findings were similar to those of other studies examining refugee populations elsewhere. A coordinated and multidisciplinary effort is needed to address these health problems of the refugee population.