Quiz: How Much Do You Know About Refugees’ Health?

The number of refugees who are able to receive mental health treatment vastly underrepresents the need: In 2024, mental health consultations accounted for less than 3% of refugee health consultations. It’s estimated that only one in eight refugees receives treatment for mental health conditions.

Because most refugees live in low- or middle-income regions, health care infrastructure on its own can be lacking. Treatment for mental health is often completely out of reach. Yet, displacement brings a number of traumas that can lead to severe mental health issues, particularly In children. The most common issues among refugees are depression and anxiety, but more serious issues can also be found due to the conflict, violence, and persecution these populations face.

Mental health is health regardless of who you are or where you live. But the trauma that refugees experience means that mental health care for displaced populations must be prioritized.

The vast majority of refugees (73%) are hosted in low- and middle-income countries where basic services are already strained.

Most refugees go to neighboring countries, which is why Iran now hosts the most refugees on earth (primarily from Afghanistan), followed by Türkiye, which borders Syria and has taken in millions displaced by the 14-year Syrian war. In Colombia, where health care services near the border have been strained by the Venezuelan crisis, the government recently announced that Venezuelans can now live and work legally in the country for 10 years, a move that will greatly improve access to health care for the nearly 3 million Venezuelans who live there.

Project HOPE is supporting health care systems near the Colombia-Venezuela border since the start of the crisis, helping improve access to health care for pregnant women and mothers who have had to go without essential prenatal or antenatal care.

Since 1997, states are required to provide a comprehensive health screening for all newly arrived refugees in the United States, which includes a mental health evaluation and a physical examination. Refugees also receive eight months of health care coverage.

Most refugees live in non-camp settings and the most common health needs are shifting to noncommunicable diseases like cancer and diabetes.

Infectious diseases like cholera are still a major issue in many refugee settings, while COVID-19 spread through refugee populations in crowded areas like camps and borders. NCDs, however, are the world’s number one killer, and the burden of NCDs in the top refugee countries of origin tells the story: NCDs account for 65% of the health burden in Myanmar, up to 54% in Sudan, and nearly 50% in Afghanistan.

The majority of Syrian refugees live in Jordan, Lebanon, and Türkiye, where NCDs account for more than three-quarters of total deaths.

Managing chronic health conditions can be a long, costly road. The more refugees have to delay care, the worse these health conditions can become, making the need for immediate, equitable access to health care more important that ever.

Post-migration stress is a major health issue among refugees, contributing to further mental trauma even after refugees arrive in a new location.

The intense stress of displacement doesn’t end when you find a place to resettle: refugees can live for years in limbo without documentation, work, or any idea of whether they might be able to return home. Language and cultural barriers can add to the stress, which can be compounded by the traumatic experience of displacement.

Finding health care can be a major stressor for refugees, including in the United States. It all adds up to a major burden on refugees’ mental health that can last for years, especially in children. Researchers have found that young refugees are at a high risk of psychosocial and mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Maternal mortality rates are several times higher among refugees, with one study finding that 15% of pregnant refugee women will experience life-threatening complications.

In 2023, countries and territories affected by conflict and fragility accounted for around 61% of all maternal deaths worldwide.

Every day, refugees face the stark reality that they will need to deliver their child away from home, often in locations where health resources are already strained, making birth a life-or-death event.