Extract
The United Nation High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates that there are approximately 25.9 million refugees worldwide [1]. The adverse living conditions, poor nutrition, low health literacy as well as physical and mental stress encountered by refugees increases the risk of these underprivileged individuals acquiring communicable diseases such as hepatitis, parasitic disease, and respiratory infections including tuberculosis (TB) [2]. As such, rapid diagnosis and appropriate treatment among all refugees for active TB as a strategy to control TB should be a global priority to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals on ending the TB epidemic by 2030, which is aligned with the World Health Organization (WHO) End TB Strategy [3].
Abstract
Mandatory screening for tuberculosis should be considered for refugees upon their arrival in Malaysia https://bit.ly/3at5uMV
Footnotes
Conflict of interest: Y.J. Wong has nothing to disclose.
Conflict of interest: S.W.H. Lee has nothing to disclose.
- Received February 23, 2020.
- Accepted March 24, 2020.
- Copyright ©ERS 2020
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