A Rapid Assessment of Health Literacy and Health Status of Rohingya Refugees Living in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh Following the August 2017 Exodus from Myanmar: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Md Ridwanur Rahman,Iqbal Kabir,Ameneh Khatami,Ma Yin Nu,Ashish Kumar Chakrabarty,Mariam Alakabawy,Abul Kashem Mohammad Jafarullah,Mohammad Abul Faiz,Md Rafiqul Hassan,Khaleda Islam,Harunor Rashid

doi:10.3390/tropicalmed5030110

Abstract

Background: A survey was conducted among Rohingya refugees to assess their overall health literacy and health status. Methods: A questionnaire was developed to conduct face to face interviews among Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh in November–December 2017. Families were selected using convenience sampling from four large refugee camps. Results: Primary respondents aged 10–90 (median 32) years, 56% male, representing 1634 families were interviewed and provided data of themselves and 6268 additional family members, 4163 (66.4%) of whom were children aged <18 years. Of all, only 736 (45%) primary respondents knew how to appropriately treat diarrhoea, 882 (54%) relied on unqualified village “doctors” for treatment, 547 (33.5%) reported a family member suffering injuries in the previous six months, with 8% (42/547) of injuries fatal. One hundred and ninety two (11.8%) primary respondents also reported deaths within their family in the preceding 12 months, with the majority (70% [134/192]) occurring in males, and 44% (85/192) of all deaths were claimed to be homicidal. Conclusion: This survey highlights overall poor health literacy, limited access to qualified health care, and a high rate of injuries and assaults among Rohingyas. However, these data come from an anecdotal survey that excluded some sensitive but important questions.

Highlights

The Rohingya people of Rakhine, Myanmar are considered one of the most persecuted populations in the world [1]
An important focus of this workshop was on the ethical conduct of research including key aspects of good clinical practice (GCP) and the International Council for Harmonisation (ICH) guidelines and the necessity to comply with those principles
Key findings of the survey include overall poor health literacy, limited access to health care, including primary and preventive care, as well as obstetric care, and a high rate of injuries and assaults. This survey was conducted in November–December 2017, three months after the start of the most recent violence in Rakhine state, Myanmar, giving an overall picture of the health status and health literacy of the Rohingya refugees that fled to Bangladesh and were temporarily settled in Cox’s Bazar

Summary

Introduction

The Rohingya people of Rakhine, Myanmar are considered one of the most persecuted populations in the world [1]. Of the five districts of Rakhine, most Rohingyas are concentrated in Maungdaw They are denied citizenship in Myanmar, which leads to negative discrimination, including denial of access to health and education. Most of them live in refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, a coastal district of Bangladesh [1,3,4,5,6]. Conclusion: This survey highlights overall poor health literacy, limited access to qualified health care, and a high rate of injuries and assaults among Rohingyas. These data come from an anecdotal survey that excluded some sensitive but important questions

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion