Health Status of 20,769 Rohingya Refugees in Cox’s Bazar Refugee Camp, Bangladesh

Abstract

We aimed to access the burden of primary health issues in two refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar. We compared the burden of disease between different age groups and gender. Data on primary health issues, referrals, maternal and child services, and family planning services were collected from November 2017 to May 2018. The sample population was 20,769 Rohingya refugees who had sought medical care; 38.2% (7,935) were males and 61.8% (12,834) were females. Those younger than five years of age constituted 28.1% (5,831), and those five years old and older constituted 71.9% (14,938). The findings revealed that 48% of the sample population sought medical care due to infectious diseases. Acute respiratory infection (29.3%) was the most frequent primary health problem encountered by refugees, followed by diarrhea (9.2%), skin problems (4.6%), injuries/wounds (2.0%) and unexplained fever causes (1.4%). There was a significant difference in the infection rate (p<0.001) between those younger than five years of age (71.7%) and those five years of age or older (38.6%). For communicable diseases, we recommended regular health awareness programs to reduce and prevent outbreaks. For noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), regular treatment and monitoring were essential. Improving the health and social status of refugees will definitely benefit the host country.