Health Concerns for Liberian Refugees

Recommendations from the Office of Global Health Affairs (exit DHFS, PDF, 950 KB)

• Sexually Transmitted Diseases

  • HIV/AIDS

    • The prevalence in Liberia is relatively low (4%), however this can be up to six times higher in refugee camps.

  • Syphilis

• Communicable Diseases

  • Tuberculosis (high prevalence approximately 2 % )

  • Diarrheal Diseases

• Shigellosis

• Cholera

• Measles

• Meningitis

• Hepatitis A, B, C, and D

• Typhoid Fever

• Trachoma

• Dengue Fever

• Yellow Fever

• Intestinal Parasites

  • Ascaris

  • Enterobius

  • Giardia

  • Hookworm

  • Strongyloides

  • Trichuris

• Non-Intestinal Parasites

  • Filarial Parasites

  • Guinea Worm

  • Leishmaniasis

  • Malaria (high prevalence; approximately 4%)

  • Schistosomiasis

• Female Genital Cutting (FGC) is practiced by 95% of Liberian women. 
  This can lead to long term effects such as:

  • Cysts and Abscesses

  • Keloid scars

  • Urinary incontinence

  • Painful sexual intercourse

  • Sexual dysfunction

  • Difficulty with childbirth

• Malnutrition

  • Marasmus

  • Kwashiorkor

  • Catechia

• Chronic Conditions

  • Hypertension

  • Diabetes

• Sickle Cell Anemia

• Amputations

  • Due to decades of civil war

• Dental Caries

• Mental Health

  • WHO estimates that 50% of refugees suffer from mental disorders

  • Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome due to decades of civil war

  • Depression

  • Anxiety

• Recommended laboratory tests for Somali-Bantu refugees:

  • Nutritional assessment

  • Stool for ova and parasites

  • Hepatitis B surface antigen

  • Hemoglobin or hematocrit

  • VDRL

  • HIV

  • PPD

References:

All external hyperlinks are provided for your information and for the benefit of the general public. The Department of Health and Family Services does not testify to, sponsor, or endorse the accuracy of the information provided on externally linked pages.

• Henry, Doug and Rasbridge, Lance. (2001). Liberia. http://www3.baylor.edu/~Charles_Kemp/liberian.htm  
• Schlecht, Jennifer. (2003). War in Liberia Highlights Health Threats to Refugees. http://www.migrationinformation.org/Feature/display.cfm?id=15  
• World Health Organization. (2003). Liberia: Health/nutrition sector report. http://www.reliefweb.int/w/rwb.nsf/0/0be90e8ce8c5fe65c1256df700474ee0?OpenDocument  

Last Revised:  December 19, 2007

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