Refugee Health Screening Programs
Refugees are usually found to be suffering from various infectious diseases, primarily due to the unhygienic conditions of the refugee camps, ethnicity, varied geographic origins. Therefore, the 1980 Federal Refugee Act requires all the new refugees entering the US to undergo an extensive health assessment. |
The entire effort of refugee health screening is managed and funded by the ORR (Office of Refugee Resettlement), which functions as a part of the DHHS (Dept. of Health & Human Service, USA). The 3 main medical interventions that have been recommended to manage the risk of epidemics associated with the refugee resettlements include – (i) A compulsory overseas screening for immigrants and refugees, (ii) Mandatory domestic screening for refugees, and (iii) The essential medical component of the Green Card or the Status Adjustment process.
The refugee health screening programs, conducted by the Public Health Service, USA, include thorough medical screening of the refugees before they leave their country to enter into the U.S. The screening programs typically comprise of comprehensive medical exams performed by panels of nearly 400 physicians, appointed by the consular officers of the US DOS. The technical guidance and instructions for these overseas medical exams are provided to the doctors by the CDC and the DGMQ. The overseas refugee health screening programs are mainly aimed at identifying infectious diseases that might put public health at risk. The various tests usually include screening for diseases like AIDS and syphilis in refugees of 15 years or above in age. Routine tests involve enquiry of medical history, chest X-rays, physical examination, and special screening for numerous infectious diseases. These diseases are classified as Class A and Class B diseases, depending on their risk of spreading.
The refugee health screening programs vary from one state to another. In fact, as every state has the responsibility of conducting these screenings, they have their own protocols and programs to carry out health screening for refugees entering their state. Detailed information pertaining to the different refugee health programs from the respective state government websites.
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Refugee Health Screening Programs
