DISEASE AND MIGRATION
How migration causes disease
How disease causes migration
Climate change
Natural hazards
ECONOMIC
People may migrate for employment opportunities, but may bring new diseases from their country of origin = increasing the spread of disease
People who migrate may be exposed to new diseases, either because they are traveling to areas with different disease patterns or because they are living in crowded and unsanitary conditions that increase the risk of disease transmission.
people who migrate for employment areas may live in a remote area, therefore they have low immunity to the diseases in the new geographical areas= impacted more by the diseases and increases spread.
the movement of people across borders and within countries can lead to the spread of disease and pose significant public health risks
migrant workers who travel between countries for work may carry and transmit diseases such as tuberculosis or HIV
refugees who are forced to flee their homes due to conflict or natural disasters may be at increased risk of infectious diseases due to the crowded and unsanitary conditions in refugee camps.
SOCIAL
Host communities may also be at risk of disease transmission from migrants, particularly if they are living in crowded and unsanitary conditions
migration can have significant impacts on public health, highlighting the need for effective disease surveillance and control measures to protect both migrant populations and host communities
populations may be displaced from their homes and forced to live in crowded and unsanitary conditions, increasing the risk of disease transmission
Some agriculture practices for economic reasons can increase the spread of disease.- eg farmers harvest when the sun is setting/ sleep in the fields= increase the spread of disases like Malaria as they are ouside at peak time for mosquiotes
flooding can lead to contamination of water sources and increase the risk of water-borne diseases
damage to sanitation systems can lead to the spread of diseases such as cholera
damage to healthcare facilities and infrastructure can limit access to healthcare, making it difficult to treat and control infectious diseases
Natural hazards can also affect the distribution of wildlife populations, potentially increasing the risk of zoonotic disease transmission
natural hazards can have significant impacts on the spread and transmission of disease, highlighting the need for effective emergency preparedness and response measures to protect public health
Migrant workers also often live in poor, overcrowded conditions during the farming season, increasing the spread of disease
screening at boarders restricts migration
Migrants in the host country can have a lack of access to healthcare due to language barriers, lack of insurance or limited availbiliy. Therefore the migrants are impacted more by the disease and can increase the spread of disease
Case studies
SOCIAL / POLITICAL
people are more likely to migrate as a result of climate change
Migrants may move for social reasons such as reunification of families- however this may lead to overcrowding in households and poor sanitation = increasing the spread of disease
changes in climate will affect the ability of diseases to spread
Increased Migration can increase climate change= increase the risk of flooding = increase the risk of water borne diseases
NGOs move to disease prone regions in order to partake in aid efforts
Migration may be encouraged by political reasons= increase the spread of disease
GSK and pharmaceutical companies -indirect global impact through increasing the robustness of healthcare systems such as encouraging health workers into more remote areas, education on preventing diseases and strengthening healthcare facilities
Lack of political stability= lack of embedding of disease mitigation strategies = increase the spread of disease
migrant workers who travel between countries for work may carry and transmit diseases such as tuberculosis or HIV
The outbreak of disease can cause an increase on migration
Economic
Outbreak of disease can cause job losses or decrease in income - eg covid
Decrease in Income can encourage people to migrate to a less expensive area, This can cause people to live In poor, overcrowded living conditions