Refugee Health | Faculty Poster | 2019

AWARENESS OF CHRONIC DISEASE RISK IS LOW AMONG BURMESE REFUGEES

Heather Orom, Kellie Schmidt, Alexandra Judelsohn, Amanda, N. Sosnowski, Aye Bay Na Sa, Isok Kim, Roberto Diaz Del Carpio, Samina Raja
location of Burmha.

Background

•Refugees from Burma are the single largest refugee group resettled in the USA over the past decade

•Buffalo receives the most refugees of any city in NY State

•8,000 - 10,000 refugees from Burma have settled in Buffalo

•Escaping religious and ethnic persecution

•Many relocating from refugee camps in Thailand or Malaysia

•Several different ethnicities represented

As the Burmese acculturate, it is expected that they will experience declines in health, including increased incidence of chronic disease. In order to target health messaging to Burmese communities, a baseline understanding of their awareness of, and perceptions of risk for common illnesses is needed.

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Project Links

  • Dealing with Disparities in Food Acquisition Among Refugees (DDFAR)
    2/27/20
    At the end of 2014, 19.5 million people were reported to be refugees in the world, and the number has continued to rise.  In 2014, 4,085 refugees were resettled in New York State, with Erie County receiving the highest number. Resettlement is meant to be a durable, long-term habitation solution so refugees can lead full, healthy lives. However, refugees are often resettled in neighborhoods that expose populations to a variety of health risks.