We must screen refugees to ensure no one is left behind: a case study of Malaysia

The United Nation High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates that there are approximately 25.9 million refugees worldwide [1]. The adverse living conditions, poor nutrition, low health literacy as well as physical and mental stress encountered by refugees increases the risk of these underprivileged individuals acquiring communicable diseases such as hepatitis, parasitic disease, and respiratory infections including tuberculosis (TB) [2]. As such, rapid diagnosis and appropriate treatment among all refugees for active TB as a strategy to control TB should be a global priority to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals on ending the TB epidemic by 2030, which is aligned with the World Health Organization (WHO) End TB Strategy [3].
Source: European Respiratory Journal - Category: Respiratory Medicine Authors: Tags: Original Articles: Correspondence Source Type: research