Describes the health conditions and problems of Somali Bantu refugees who have resettled in the United States after spending considerable time in the Kakuma camp in Kenya. Some of the problems are not diagnosed until after the refugees reach the United States. Prepared by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Global Health Affairs, this report prepares state refugee coordinators, local resettlement organizations, and health care providers for the health problems they are most likely to confront among this refugee population. Among the diseases and conditions covered are: acute and chronic malnutrition as well as micronutrient deficiency; infectious diseases such as dengue fever, hepatitis, HIV/AIDS, malaria, measles, shigellosis (or bacillary dysentery), syphilis, trachoma, tuberculosis, typhoid and paratyphoid fever (or enteric fever); parasites, including ascariasis and filariasis (roundworm), dog tapeworm, enterobiasis (pinworm), giardia, guinea worm, leishmaniasis, schistosoma; and oral hygiene problems. In addition, the report addresses cultural attitudes concerning traditional health care remedies, reproductive health, and mental health as well as possible difficulties arising from language barriers. Also contained are suggestions for how resettlement and health care professionals can work most effectively with newly arrived refugees.
