Mortality and Morbidity in Refugee Camps in Eastern Sudan

1985-90

Datos Bibliográficos

ID3898024
AutoresAlex Mercer, Alec Mercer (University of London, autor de correspondencia)
Año1992
Volumen16
Número1
Páginas28-42
Fecha de publicación1992-03-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaDisasters (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0361-3666 • E-ISSN: 1467-7717
EditorialWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/j.1467-7717.1992.tb00373.x
PMID20958738
OpenAlexW2143371792
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas4
Referencias citadas3

Civil war has disrupted life in Ethiopia since the 1960s and many people have sought refuge in Eastern Sudan, particularly during the famine emergency of 1984-85. UNHCR has provided the main financial support for the refugee programme, but began scaling down operations in 1990. Nearly 300,000 refugees still live in camps and benefit from food and health programmes. Health services are co-ordinated by the Sudanese Refugee Health Unit which operates a centralised health and nutrition surveillance system with the co-operation of the NGOs responsible for health care in the camps. A revision of the monthly reporting system and the establishment of a computer database in 1990 provided an opportunity to review the situation in the camps over the five years since the emergency. Child death rates for example, appear to have been reduced to levels below those expected in rural Africa. Patterns of mortality, morbidity, and nutritional status are outlined here and point to the general effectiveness of the health care programme. The surveillance system can, however, be used to identify those camps which have persistent problems, while monthly comparisons with the situation in previous years can provide early warning of deteriorating conditions

Economic growth · Environmental health · Famine · Geography · Health care · Medical emergency · Population · Refugee · Socioeconomics · Sociology · Years of potential life lost · Health and Conflict Studies · Medicine · Migration, Health and Trauma