“Forgotten Diseases” Enter Germany Through Refugees
Germany’s refugee crisis has not only confronted the country with challenges such as providing shelter and food for refugees, but has also presented it with a new challenge due to the resurgence of “forgotten diseases” that have been brought in by refugees.
According to Hans Jäger, chairman of the “AIDS and Hepatitis” conference in Munich, a number of Syrian refugees who have come to Germany are suffering from Hepatitis B. Nearly a month ago, one Syrian refugee died in a clinic in the city of Ingolstadt due to this disease.
During March 11-13 (Esfand 21-23), approximately 1,200 specialists will gather at the “AIDS and Hepatitis” conference in the city of Munich to discuss and exchange views on the latest findings regarding long-term treatment options for AIDS as well as new treatments for Hepatitis C.
This year, one of the important topics of this conference is the refugee crisis and the diseases that European countries are facing as a result of refugees. Hans Jäger told the German news agency: “So far, we have seen a small number of AIDS patients who have come to Germany as a result of the current refugee situation. This number is less than what we were initially concerned about.”
The rate of AIDS infection in Syria is 0.1 percent, which is similar to the rate of this disease in Germany. In contrast, however, the rate of Hepatitis B infection in Syria at 2.3 percent is considerably higher than in Germany.
Nevertheless, Hans Jäger emphasizes that this does not pose a threat to the health of German citizens, and with the health measures that have been put in place for refugees, there is no cause for concern about the spread of these diseases in Germany.
Read more: What medical services do refugees in Germany have access to?
According to Jäger, approximately 25 refugees suffering from “relapsing fever” have been treated in Munich so far. This disease is more commonly seen in refugees who migrate from East Africa to Europe than in others.
These refugees do not have access to extra clothing during their perilous journey of several months and generally wear only one set of clothes, which is why the likelihood of disease transmission in this group is very high. According to Hans Jäger, if relapsing fever is diagnosed in time, the disease can be treated with antibiotics. Otherwise, this disease can lead to the death of the patient.
In refugee shelters, mumps, measles, and chickenpox have also been observed among refugee children.
Psychological problems resulting from war and flight, psychological trauma from sexual abuse and violence experienced by a large number of refugee women, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in children are among other issues that Germany’s health care system must address.
