Civil Strife, Migration and Health in the East African Region: Some Historical Reflections

Abstract

Issues of migration, health, civil strife and refugees are very common within the East African region. The fact that the creation of the East African states was a result of conflict in Europe cannot be underestimated. And therefore, the reorganization of boundaries among Africans and African states by the colonial masters was bound to generate conflict in the postcolonial period. True to this, the postcolonial states in East Africa were engulfed in civil strife leading to forced migration, displacements and the rise of refugee crises within the region. States such as Rwanda, Burundi, Sudan, South Sudan and Somalia symbolized the refugee crisis in this region. The colonial governments had laid the foundation of modern health systems in Africa and East Africa in particular, and the postcolonial governments inherited this system, which informed the whole idea of preventive and curative measures as far as health matters were concerned. The medical needs of the refugees would, therefore, be partially met by this system in collaboration with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNCHR) and other non-governmental organisations (NGOs) especially for refugees living in camps. The diversity of diseases affects the refugees due to their diverse backgrounds, and health services provided by the governments of host nations, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and non-governmental organisations such as the International Rescue Committee, the National Church Council of Kenya and volunteer medical practitioners represent the global, diverse and plural nature of the East African postcolonial era where modernity thrives. It also brings to the fore the north-south relations at another social level which is not necessarily capitalist or exploitative, but one which is mutually beneficial. This paper, therefore, provides a historical perspective on civil war, migration, health and the refugee crisis since the first major cases of civil strife within the East African region.