Refugee Health Profiles

The refugee health profiles linked from this page provide key health and cultural information about specific refugee groups resettling in the United States. Information is gathered from the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the U.S. Department of State, scientific research, and many other sources.

Each profile covers some of these topics:

• Priority Health Conditions
• Background
• Population Movements
• Healthcare and Conditions Before Arrival
• Medical Screening of U.S.-bound Refugees
• Post-arrival Medical Screening
• Health Information

This information is provided to help clinicians, public health providers, and resettlement agencies facilitate medical screening, and determine appropriate interventions and services for individuals of a specific refugee group. Each profile is a comprehensive resource describing the demographic, cultural, and health characteristics of specific population. The information in these profiles is intended to equip clinicians and others with the knowledge necessary to better serve refugees. This knowledge will allow providers to approach a refugee with an improved understanding of where they come from, the circumstances of their displacement, living conditions during asylum, and health conditions for which they may be at increased risk.

Available refugee health profiles include:

• Bhutanese Refugees
• Burmese Refugees
• Central American (Guatemalan, Honduran, Salvadoran) Minor Refugees
• Congolese Refugees
• Iraqi Refugees
• Syrian Refugees

Current profiles will be revised as new information becomes available. Additional profiles are under development.