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Saseetharran A, Hiebert L, Gupta N, Nyirahabihirwe F, Kamali I, Ward JW. Prevention, testing, and treatment interventions for hepatitis B and C in refugee populations: results of a scoping review. BMC Infect Dis 2023; 23:866. [PMID: 38071291 PMCID: PMC10709891 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-023-08861-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Refugees are at higher risk for hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis C (HCV), but often face unique healthcare barriers to vaccination, testing, and treatment. This scoping review aimed to identify and characterize HBV and HCV prevention and care services serving refugee populations globally. METHODS A literature search was conducted on Embase, Cochrane, and PubMed databases. Research studies published in English between January 2010 to July 2022 describing an HBV or HCV prevention, testing, or treatment intervention for refugees were included. RESULTS There were a total of 69 articles reporting viral hepatitis prevalence, implementation of services, or economic modelling. Of the 38 implementation studies, 14 were stand-alone HBV and/or HCV interventions, while 24 studies included HBV and/or HCV in an intervention targeting multiple infectious diseases and/or parasitic infections. Interventions commonly included a testing (n = 30) or referral (n = 24) component. Frequently reported features to promote program accessibility included bilingual services (n = 25), community partnerships (n = 21), and multidisciplinary staff members (n = 18), such as cultural and/or linguistic mediators, community health workers, community health leaders, lay health workers, local health staff, members of the refugee community, and social workers. The most commonly reported challenge was the transience of refugees (n = 5). Twenty studies noted funding sources, of which twelve reported governmental funding (not including national health insurance) and eight reported that refugees received national health insurance. CONCLUSIONS This is the first scoping review to characterize the types of hepatitis prevention, screening, and treatment interventions serving refugee populations globally. Published experiences of HBV and HCV services for refugee populations remain limited. Additional efforts are needed to disseminate models of hepatitis interventions for refugees to ensure access to care for this key population. To achieve hepatitis elimination globally, best practices must be identified and shared to expand access to hepatitis services for refugee populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ankeeta Saseetharran
- Coalition for Global Hepatitis Elimination, 330 W Ponce de Leon Ave, Decatur, GA 30030, USA.
| | - Lindsey Hiebert
- Coalition for Global Hepatitis Elimination, 330 W Ponce de Leon Ave, Decatur, GA 30030, USA
| | - Neil Gupta
- Coalition for Global Hepatitis Elimination, 330 W Ponce de Leon Ave, Decatur, GA 30030, USA
| | | | | | - John W Ward
- Coalition for Global Hepatitis Elimination, 330 W Ponce de Leon Ave, Decatur, GA 30030, USA
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Moonen CPB, den Heijer CDJ, Dukers-Muijrers NHTM, van Dreumel R, Steins SCJ, Hoebe CJPA. A systematic review of barriers and facilitators for hepatitis B and C screening among migrants in the EU/EEA region. Front Public Health 2023; 11:1118227. [PMID: 36875381 PMCID: PMC9975596 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1118227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Hepatitis B and C are a threat to public health. Screening of high-risk groups, such as migrants from high-endemic areas, enables early identification and treatment initiation. This systematic review identified barriers and facilitators for hepatitis B and C screening among migrants in the European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA). Methods Following PRISMA guidelines, databases PubMed, Embase via Ovid, and Cochrane were searched for English articles published between 1 July 2015 and 24 February 2022. Articles were included, not restricted to a specific study design, if they elaborated on HBV or HCV screening in migrant populations from countries outside Western Europe, North America, and Oceania, and residing in EU/EEA countries. Excluded were studies with solely an epidemiological or microbiological focus, including only general populations or non-migrant subgroups, or conducted outside the EU/EEA, without qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods. Data appraisal, extraction, and quality assessment were conducted and assessed by two reviewers. Barriers and facilitators were categorized into seven levels based on multiple theoretical frameworks and included factors related to guidelines, the individual health professional, the migrant and community, interaction, the organization and economics, the political and legal level, and innovations. Results The search strategy yielded 2,115 unique articles of which 68 were included. Major identified barriers and facilitators to the success of screening related to the migrant (knowledge and awareness) and community level (culture, religion, support) and the organizational and economic level (capacity, resources, coordinated structures). Given possible language barriers, language support and migrant sensitivity are indispensable for facilitating interaction. Rapid point-of-care-testing is a promising strategy to lower screening barriers. Discussion The inclusion of multiple study designs provided extensive insight into barriers, strategies to lower these barriers, and facilitators to maximize the success of screening. A great variety of factors were revealed on multiple levels, therefore there is no one-size-fits-all approach for screening, and initiatives should be adopted for the targeted group(s), including tailoring to cultural and religious beliefs. We provide a checklist of facilitators and barriers to inform adapted interventions to allow for optimal screening impact.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chrissy P B Moonen
- Living Lab Public Health, Department of Sexual Health, Infectious Diseases and Environmental Health, South Limburg Public Health Service, Heerlen, Netherlands.,Department of Social Medicine, Care and Public Health Research Institute (CAPHRI), Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Casper D J den Heijer
- Living Lab Public Health, Department of Sexual Health, Infectious Diseases and Environmental Health, South Limburg Public Health Service, Heerlen, Netherlands.,Department of Social Medicine, Care and Public Health Research Institute (CAPHRI), Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Nicole H T M Dukers-Muijrers
- Living Lab Public Health, Department of Sexual Health, Infectious Diseases and Environmental Health, South Limburg Public Health Service, Heerlen, Netherlands.,Department of Health Promotion, Care and Public Health Research Institute (CAPHRI), Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Ragni van Dreumel
- Living Lab Public Health, Department of Sexual Health, Infectious Diseases and Environmental Health, South Limburg Public Health Service, Heerlen, Netherlands
| | - Sabine C J Steins
- Living Lab Public Health, Department of Sexual Health, Infectious Diseases and Environmental Health, South Limburg Public Health Service, Heerlen, Netherlands
| | - Christian J P A Hoebe
- Living Lab Public Health, Department of Sexual Health, Infectious Diseases and Environmental Health, South Limburg Public Health Service, Heerlen, Netherlands.,Department of Social Medicine, Care and Public Health Research Institute (CAPHRI), Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands.,Department of Medical Microbiology, Care and Public Health Research Institute (CAPHRI), Maastricht University Medical Centre (MUMC+), Maastricht, Netherlands
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Impact of Coronavirus Pandemic on Tuberculosis and Other Imported Diseases Screening among Migrant Minors in Spain. Trop Med Infect Dis 2022; 8:tropicalmed8010028. [PMID: 36668935 PMCID: PMC9860880 DOI: 10.3390/tropicalmed8010028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Revised: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In recent decades, the increase in population movements has turned the focus to imported diseases. The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted the access to health care systems, especially in highly vulnerable populations. We address the effects of the pandemic on the health screening of migrant unaccompanied minors (UM) in Spain. METHOD Retrospective cross-sectional study including UM screened for imported diseases with a unified protocol at a pediatric reference unit for tropical and infectious diseases in Madrid, Spain. We compared the pre-pandemic (2018-2019) and post-pandemic periods (2020-2021). RESULTS A total of 192 minors were screened during the study period, with a drop in UM's referral to our center in the post-pandemic years (140 in 2018-2019 vs. 52 in 2020-2021). Out of 192, 161 (83.9%) were diagnosed with at least one medical condition. The mean age was 16.8 years (SD 0.8) and 96.9% were males. Most cases were referred for a health exam; only 38% of children were symptomatic. Eosinophilia was present in 20.8%. The most common diagnosis were latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) (72.9%), schistosomiasis (15.1%), toxocariasis (4.9%) and strongyloidiasis (4.9%). The prevalence of LTBI did not vary significantly (69.3% vs. 82.7%, p = 0.087). A total of 38% of the patients diagnosed with LTBI never started treatment or were lost to follow-up, as were two out of three patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis. CONCLUSIONS In this series, the number of UM referred for health screening has dropped dramatically after the COVID pandemic, and two years after the beginning of the pandemic, access to care is still limited. Lost to follow-up rates are extremely high despite institutionalization. Specific resources, including multidisciplinary teams and accessible units are needed to improve diagnoses and linkage to care in this vulnerable population.
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Daniel-Calveras A, Baldaquí N, Baeza I. Mental health of unaccompanied refugee minors in Europe: A systematic review. CHILD ABUSE & NEGLECT 2022; 133:105865. [PMID: 36095862 DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2022.105865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2021] [Revised: 08/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Nearly half of the refugee and asylum seeking population in Europe is under the age of 18, and many of these individuals are unaccompanied children and adolescents. OBJECTIVE The aim of this systematic review is both to summarize findings regarding the prevalence of mental health disorders among unaccompanied refugee minors (URM) in European countries since the last available systematic review (October 2017), and to describe associated risk factors. METHODS Five databases were systematically searched for articles published between October 1, 2017 and May 1, 2022. RESULTS The findings from 23 studies conducted in 9 countries which examined 80,651 child and adolescent URM are explained. Afghanistan was the most common country of origin in the majority of studies and >75 % of the subjects were boys. Most of the studies (N = 13, 56.5 %) assessed posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) prevalence. We found a high prevalence of mental health disorders among URM children and adolescents, which varied considerably between studies, ranging from 4.6 % to 43 % for (PTSD), 2.9 % to 61.6 % for depression, 32.6 % to 38.2 % for anxiety and 4 to14.3 % for behavioral problems. Two studies looking at suicide attempts and deaths, also observed higher rates in URM compared to the host population of the same age. The studies looking at mental health risk factors suggest that levels of social support in the host country, rearing environment, and other factors are associated with psychopathology. Moreover, a meta-analysis of four studies regarding PTSD in URM and accompanied refugee minors (ARM) showed a lower prevalence among ARM: -1.14 (95%CI:-1.56-0.72). CONCLUSIONS PTSD, depression and anxiety are the most prevalent problems among the URM population in Europe. Early intervention in host countries is needed in order to improve mental health outcomes for this vulnerable population and avoid possible neglect.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nuria Baldaquí
- Psychiatry and Psychology Department, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, SGR-881 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Inmaculada Baeza
- Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology Department, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, CIBERSAM, ISCIII, Spain; Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi Sunyer (CERCA-IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain.
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Prevention and treatment of infectious diseases in migrants in Europe in the era of universal health coverage. THE LANCET PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 7:e876-e884. [DOI: 10.1016/s2468-2667(22)00174-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Revised: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
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Vignier N, Moussaoui S, Marsaudon A, Wittwer J, Jusot F, Dourgnon P. Burden of infectious diseases among undocumented migrants in France: Results of the Premiers Pas survey. Front Public Health 2022; 10:934050. [PMID: 35991026 PMCID: PMC9386354 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.934050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction An increase in migration rates to the European Union has been observed over the last few years. Part of these migrants is undocumented. This work aimed to describe the reported frequency of infectious diseases and their associated factors among unselected samples of undocumented migrants in France. Methodology The Premier Pas survey is a cross-sectional epidemiological survey of a random sample (two-stage sample design) conducted among undocumented migrants recruited in Paris and the Bordeaux region, in places and facilities likely to be frequented by undocumented migrants. The percentages were weighted. The analysis was performed using Stata 15.1 software. Results A total of 1,223 undocumented migrants were recruited from 63 places and facilities, with a participation rate of 50%. Most of them were between 30 and 40 years of age (36%), 69% were men, aged mainly 30–40 (36%) years old, from sub-Saharan Africa (60%) or North Africa (25%), and 60% had arrived <3 years earlier. Among the participants, 24.8% declared a poor perceived health status and 33.5% a chronic health condition. Dental infections concerned 43.2% of the participants. Apart from dental issues, 12.9% reported suffering from at least one infectious disease: HIV infection (3.5%), chronic hepatitis B virus infection (3.1%), upper respiratory tract infection (1.7%), skin mycosis (1.2%), skin and soft tissue infection (0.8%), chronic hepatitis C infection (0.8%), urinary tract infection (0.7%), lower respiratory tract infection (0.7%), scabies (0.3%), tuberculosis disease (0.2%), vaginal mycosis (0.6%), and herpes (0.1%). Regarding HIV, HBV, and HCV infections, 56, 71, and 89%, respectively, were diagnosed after their arrival. Chronic viral infections were more often reported by undocumented migrants from sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America. In multivariate analysis, a higher risk of reporting chronic viral infection was observed among people food insecure. Conclusion This original study on a large random sample confirms the frequency of infectious diseases among undocumented migrants in France and the importance of integrating their screening during a health Rendezvous and their management into early access to care and inclusive medico-psycho-social management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Vignier
- Institut de recherche et documentation en économie de la santé, IRDES, Paris, France
- Centre d'Investigation Clinique Antilles Guyane, CIC INSERM 1424, Centre hospitalier de Cayenne, Cayenne, French Guiana
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM UMR 1136, Institut Pierre Louis d'Épidémiologie et de Santé Publique, IPLESP, Department of Social Epidemiology, Paris, France
- French Collaborative Institute on Migration, Institut Convergences Migrations, ICM, Aubervilliers, France
- Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, UFR SMBH, IAME, INSERM UMR 1137, Hôpital Avicenne, Hôpitaux Universitaires Paris Seine-Saint-Denis, AP-HP, Department of Infectious and Tropical diseases, Bobigny, France
- *Correspondence: Nicolas Vignier
| | - Sohela Moussaoui
- Institut de recherche et documentation en économie de la santé, IRDES, Paris, France
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM UMR 1136, Institut Pierre Louis d'Épidémiologie et de Santé Publique, IPLESP, Department of Social Epidemiology, Paris, France
- Bordeaux University, Bordeaux Population Health, INSERM U1219, Economic and Management of Healthcare Organizations Team, Emos Team, Bordeaux, France
| | - Antoine Marsaudon
- Institut de recherche et documentation en économie de la santé, IRDES, Paris, France
| | - Jérome Wittwer
- Bordeaux University, Bordeaux Population Health, INSERM U1219, Economic and Management of Healthcare Organizations Team, Emos Team, Bordeaux, France
| | - Florence Jusot
- Institut de recherche et documentation en économie de la santé, IRDES, Paris, France
- Université Paris-Dauphine, PSL-Research University, Leda-Legos, Paris, France
| | - Paul Dourgnon
- Institut de recherche et documentation en économie de la santé, IRDES, Paris, France
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