A retrospective study of demographic parameters and major health referrals among Afghan refugees in Iran

Afghanistan’s domestic upheaval in the 1970’s, followed by the Soviet occupation in 1979, resulted in a massive displacement of its population. After the Soviet withdrawal in 1989 and the removal of the communist regime in 1992, about three million Afghans returned from exile. However, neither the rise of the Taliban in 1994, nor their fall in 2001, mitigated the challenges facing the diaspora who fled the country in different waves, and have had to maintain their immigrant status.

Years of conflict have inflicted near fatal wounds upon the healthcare infrastructure throughout Afghanistan. According to the Ministry of Public Health (2009), the country has suffered a devastating decline during the past three decades, with human and socio-economic indicators hovering near the bottom of international indices[1]. For nearly three decades, the neighboring countries of Iran and Pakistan have hosted millions of Afghans. Afghans today in fact represent the largest group of refugees in the world[2]. The Afghan situation in Iran is characterized by a) prolonged exile, b) large numbers (1,019,700 Afghan refugees as of July 2011), c) residence in urban areas, d) the emergence of a second generation, and e) a significant social support system provided by the host country[3‐5]. These factors have largely shaped and determined healthcare for this population.

There is, however, a paucity of data on the health status of Afghans in exile. Previous studies were limited in scope in regards to sampling, or in areas of coverage. One clinic for Afghan refugees in Pakistan reported that most referrals were for gastrointestinal tract disorders, followed by respiratory tract complaints[6]. One research project in Northern Pakistan focused on the prevalence and etiology of visual loss and eye diseases in a resident Afghan refugee community[7]. A number of other studies have addressed tuberculosis (TB) and the mental health problems of Afghan refugees in Iran[8‐15], Pakistan[16, 17], the United States[18‐21] and the Netherlands[22, 23]. The scarcity of health data is also a challenge in Afghanistan. According to the Afghan Ministry of Public Health (2011), minimal data exists on the current health status of the population and on resource allocations in the health sector[24].

The World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that Afghanistan is a country where there is limited knowledge on most causes of mortality and morbidity[25]. Afghanistan’s non-communicable diseases (NCD) country profile, as reported by WHO (2011), reveals that mortality estimates have a high degree of uncertainty because they are not based on any national NCD mortality data. These estimates are based on a combination of country life tables, cause of death models, regional cause of death patterns, and WHO and UNAID program estimates for some major causes of death. These do not include NCDs, which are estimated to account for 29% of all deaths in the WHO report[26]. Due to a paucity of research on the health status of Afghan refugees in Iran, this study aims to illustrate patterns of common diseases among Afghan refugees in Iran, and to use these data as an index for evaluating the performance of future health services.

This is a retrospective cross-sectional study that uses data collected from the UNHCR offices in Tehran and Mashhad. This database represents approximately 85% of Afghan refugees registered in Iran. These data were collected by two teams, each of which included at least three professional social workers and interviewers, one physician and one general purpose receptionist. These personnel, based in the UNHCR offices, held responsibility for extended areas in the central, northern and eastern parts of Iran.

Each case or patient approached UNHCR Offices for assistance, or were referred by hospitals, welfare, charity societies, or governmental and non-governmental organizations. Requests for assistance were screened and processed by the community and medical service teams through interviews conducted at home, in hospitals and in community visits. A report was recorded in the Community Integrated Social and Medical Assistance Program (CISAMAP) database by the interviewer after each case had given his or her consent. Records include all accepted and rejected cases for assistance, and are based on a list of referral causes (Additional file:1) to ensure reliable data entry. Medical assessment of each case rested solely with the CISAMAP physician.

Data extracted for this study is based on a sample of 23,167 registered Afghan refugees who were referred from 2005 to 2010, a six year period. Tables and graphs represent disaggregated data for age, gender and ethnicity of Afghan refugees for inter- and intra-group comparisons. This information was reviewed along with the Global Burden of Disease 2011 Report released by WHO. SPSS (version 18) was used initially for data analysis; tables and graphs were prepared in Microsoft Word 2010.

The tremendous uncertainty that surrounds the health status of millions of refugees in exile underscores the need for health referral data for this population. Currently, the worldwide occurrence of non-communicable disease is 43%, but is expected to increase to 60% and cause 73% of all deaths by 2020. Most of this will occur through epidemics in developing countries such as Iran, especially among refugee populations[28‐31].

Our study is unique in that it provides a comprehensive look into perhaps the largest diaspora of Afghans. Important findings include that, for those 0–14 years of age, prenatal disease was the most common cause in seeking healthcare, whereas those 15–59 and > 60 years of age were referred primarily for ophthalmic diseases, neoplasms, and nephropathies. We also highlight differences in disease proclivity by ethnicity, which may facilitate better access and effective treatment. Despite the intrinsic limitations inherent in such a study, these findings promise to provide insight into providing improved access and care for this beleaguered population.