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

Humanity recently passed a sobering milestone: For the first time, over 108 million people are now forcibly displaced worldwide, including refugees, asylum seekers, and internally displaced populations. Over 40 million of these displaced individuals are children, many of whom have been separated from their families, friends, and the places they called home. Less than 1% of the displaced population has returned to their country of origin or been resettled, thus intensifying the need for adequate health care, medical supplies, and mental health resources.

There are numerous hurdles that prevent refugees from accessing health care, from income and documentation to language barriers and stigmas. But with 1% of the world’s population now displaced, ensuring everyone’s access to quality care has never been more crucial.

How well do you know the health issues refugees face? Test your knowledge with these true-or-false questions below.

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How Did You Do?

1. More than half of refugees who seek health care end up receiving treatment for mental health conditions.

False. The number of refugees who are able to receive mental health treatment vastly underrepresents the need: In 2018, mental health consultations accounted for less than 2% of refugee health consultations.

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.

2. Relocation allows most refugees to access improved health care services in the places they resettle.

False. The vast majority of refugees (86%) are hosted in developing regions where basic services are already strained.

Most refugees go to neighboring countries or stay close to home, which is why the 10-year Syrian war has led to Turkey hosting the most refugees on earth. In Colombia, where health care services near the border have been strained by the Venezuela crisis, the government recently announced that Venezuelans can now live and work legally in the country for 10 years, a move which will greatly improve access to health care for the 1.8 million Venezuelans who live there.

Project HOPE has supported health care systems near the Colombia-Venezuela border since the start of the crisis. In addition to COVID-19 support, we’re also helping improve access to health care for pregnant women and mothers who have had to go without essential prenatal or antenatal care.

3. All refugees in the United States receive a comprehensive health exam and mental health evaluation.

True. 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.

4. Refugees’ greatest health needs have increasingly shifted to transmissible and infectious diseases.

False. 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, and COVID-19 has 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 63% of the health burden in Myanmar, 51% in Sudan, and 43% in Afghanistan.

The majority of Syrian refugees live in Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey, where NCDs account for more than three-quarters of total deaths. A 2019 study of Syrian refugees in Jordan found that more than 1 in 10 refugees experienced hypertension, with other issues including cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

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 than ever.

5. Studies have found that the stress of displacement largely ends once a refugee is relocated in a new community.

False. 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.

6. Maternal mortality rates among refugees are similar to that of the general global population.

False. Maternal mortality rates are several times higher among refugees. One study found that 15% of pregnant refugee women will experience life-threatening complications. 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.