Better Health For All

“Refugees are mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, children, with the same hopes and ambitions as us – except a twist of fate has bound their lives to a global refugee crisis on an unprecedented scale.” Khaled Hosseini

According to data from UNHCR, displacement has risen to the highest level ever recorded, with an unprecedented 70.8 million people being forced from their homes and 25.9 million living as refugees.¹ A growing number of people are living long-term in settlements; raising families, seeking jobs and attending school. Furthermore, NCDs such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease are rising, contributing to 80% of deaths in LMICs.² This sheds light on the need to develop effective approaches to respond to, and treat the needs of, these populations. Recognising this need, an exploratory study was developed in collaboration with the International Rescue Committee (IRC) to investigate effective interventions for NCD prevention in LMICs, exploring opportunities for such interventions in a refugee setting. This May I spent time in a refugee settlement in northern Uganda conducting research for this study and I want to highlight three personal takeaways from my experience in the camp.

Getting off the small propeller plane in Arua with my colleague to await our vehicle, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. While I had spent time in Africa before, this would be my first time in a refugee camp. Walking through the Ebola check point I stood still as the worker took my temperature. Next, our bags were loaded, and I hopped in the car as we set off on the hour journey to BidiBidi, one of the largest refugee camps in the world.

It was hard to tell where the town ended and where BidiBidi actually began. But as we neared the centre aid worker flags clearly defined the space. Every person we encountered, from the driver and NGO workers, to the refugees, were kind and welcoming. Eager to start our work, my colleague and I quickly started making plans. However, I was soon to learn the first of my three key lessons!

1. You will need to be adaptable

While having a plan is nice, you need to have a plan B, C and D and be prepared to think on your feet. Much of the nature of working in international development is dealing with setbacks and this was just as true with my research. In a refugee camp food rations are distributed on certain days, therefore if someone you are meant to interview is due to pick up food, that will be their priority. Additionally, locations will be moved due to other meetings taking place and time works a bit differently. When we wanted to hold our first focus group at 11:00am the health officer would happily tell the participants to meet at 9:00am. However, with a good attitude and entertaining colleagues, the underlying chaos ended up being my favourite part of the experience, as this was a true reflection of the reality.

2. Context is key

Much of my research was around addressing risk factors such as tobacco and alcohol use, unhealthy diets and lack of physical activity. Therefore, it was critical to understand the population; what are the drivers behind behaviours, what is the availability and accessibility and are there mechanisms in place for regulation? In BidiBidi the majority of the population are South Sudanese refugees who are Muslim; mostly women and children with little education. Shadowing a community health worker as he went into the villages gave me insight on the daily lives of the refugees and how to adapt research findings for this particular context.

3. Community is everything

Lastly, and most importantly, community is everything. Many of the people I spoke with escaped from war-torn South Sudan, witnessed violence and experienced discrimination. But the way the community remains cohesive, supports each other and stays positive, despite all circumstances, is inspiring. The doctors, health officers and community health workers are a united team working to break barriers and tackle challenges. Hopefully as new research and new technology emerges, it can be introduced in settings like BidiBidi. An advantage of working with the IRC is that they are an implementing organisation; research is put to practice and the people they are serving have a voice. While the current statistics are daunting, the people have the will and the capacity to introduce effective interventions which can prevent NCDs among the refugee community, creating better health for all.

Blog written by Lara Kontos, MSc Global Health

References

1. UNHCR (2019) Figures at a Glance. Available at: https://www.unhcr.org/uk/figures-at-a-glance.html (Accessed 14 August 2019).
2. World Health Organization (2018) Noncommunicable diseases. Available at: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/noncommunicable-diseases (Accessed: 18 July 2019).