Md Ridwanur Rahman1, Mohammad Abul Faiz2, Ma Yin Nu3, Md Rafiqul Hassan3, Ashish Kumar Chakrabarty1, Iqbal Kabir4, Khaleda Islam5, Abul Kashem Mohammad Jafarullah5, Mariam Alakabawy6, Ameneh Khatami7,8, Harunor Rashid7,9. 1. Universal Medical College, Research Center, Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh. 2. Dev Care Foundation, Dhaka 1209, Bangladesh. 3. Cox's Bazar Medical College, Cox's Bazar 4700, Bangladesh. 4. National Institute for Preventive and Social Medicine, Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh. 5. Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh. 6. Graduate Programs in Public Health, University of New England, Portland, ME 04103, USA. 7. Discipline of Child and Adolescent Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia. 8. Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia. 9. National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS), The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: A survey was conducted among Rohingya refugees to assess their overall health literacy and health status. METHODS: A questionnaire was developed to conduct face to face interviews among Rohingya refugees in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh in November-December 2017. Families were selected using convenience sampling from four large refugee camps. RESULTS: Primary respondents aged 10-90 (median 32) years, 56% male, representing 1634 families were interviewed and provided data of themselves and 6268 additional family members, 4163 (66.4%) of whom were children aged <18 years. Of all, only 736 (45%) primary respondents knew how to appropriately treat diarrhoea, 882 (54%) relied on unqualified village "doctors" for treatment, 547 (33.5%) reported a family member suffering injuries in the previous six months, with 8% (42/547) of injuries fatal. One hundred and ninety two (11.8%) primary respondents also reported deaths within their family in the preceding 12 months, with the majority (70% [134/192]) occurring in males, and 44% (85/192) of all deaths were claimed to be homicidal. CONCLUSION: This survey highlights overall poor health literacy, limited access to qualified health care, and a high rate of injuries and assaults among Rohingyas. However, these data come from an anecdotal survey that excluded some sensitive but important questions.
BACKGROUND: A survey was conducted among Rohingya refugees to assess their overall health literacy and health status. METHODS: A questionnaire was developed to conduct face to face interviews among Rohingya refugees in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh in November-December 2017. Families were selected using convenience sampling from four large refugee camps. RESULTS: Primary respondents aged 10-90 (median 32) years, 56% male, representing 1634 families were interviewed and provided data of themselves and 6268 additional family members, 4163 (66.4%) of whom were children aged <18 years. Of all, only 736 (45%) primary respondents knew how to appropriately treat diarrhoea, 882 (54%) relied on unqualified village "doctors" for treatment, 547 (33.5%) reported a family member suffering injuries in the previous six months, with 8% (42/547) of injuries fatal. One hundred and ninety two (11.8%) primary respondents also reported deaths within their family in the preceding 12 months, with the majority (70% [134/192]) occurring in males, and 44% (85/192) of all deaths were claimed to be homicidal. CONCLUSION: This survey highlights overall poor health literacy, limited access to qualified health care, and a high rate of injuries and assaults among Rohingyas. However, these data come from an anecdotal survey that excluded some sensitive but important questions.
Entities:
Keywords:
Bangladesh; Myanmar; Rakhine; Rohingya; health literacy; health status; refugee