Assessment of General Health Status Among Refugee Women in Greater Cairo

Abstract

Background: Egypt is one of the top ten countries hosting refugees as it is located in the Middle East which produces more than one-third of refugees worldwide. Women are the most vulnerable group to face health hardships and violence during migration. Aim: Health promotion of female refugees and asylum seekers in Egypt. Patients and Methods: A cross-sectional study has been conducted on 320 refugee women at four public facilities chosen by simple random sampling out of thirteen public primary Ministry of Health (MOH) facilities supported by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). A structured interview questionnaire was adopted and modified to cover the targeted areas. Results: More than one-third of the studied group were Syrian and the other two-thirds were Africans. There was a highly significant statistical difference between the country of origin of participants as regards current marital status and main source of income while there was a non-significant difference regarding the current work status. there was a statistically significant difference in the length of stay in Egypt as regards their rating of overall health. There was a statistically significant difference in the length of stay in Egypt as regards taking medications. Conclusion: The community needs to increase its budget, efforts, and studies in the field of health care services for refugees. MOH and the UNHCR should work to reach these groups and announce the services they offer to them.