Conference abstract

Assessment of current situation, health habits and health care seeking behaviour for Syrian refugee children under 5 years old in the Bekaa Valley

Pan African Medical Journal - Conference Proceedings. 2018:9(49).22 Sep 2018.
doi: 10.11604/pamj-cp.2018.9.49.777
Archived on: 22 Sep 2018
Contact the corresponding author
Keywords: Syrian refugee, health habits, health seeking, children under 5, Bekaa valley
Oral presentation

Assessment of current situation, health habits and health care seeking behaviour for Syrian refugee children under 5 years old in the Bekaa Valley

Aurora Teresa Gadsden Hevia1,&, Estelle Tanguy1, Elise Loyens1, Becky Oba1, Chahinaz Tabikh1, Sirine Zeayter Bekaa1

1Médecin Sans Frontière, Operational Center Geneva, Bekaa Valley Project, Bekaa, Lebanon

&Corresponding author
Aurora Teresa Gadsden Hevia, Médecin Sans Frontière, Operational Center Geneva, Bekaa Valley Project, Bekaa, Lebanon

Abstract

Introduction: after 7 years of war in Syria, there are 1,001,051 refugees in Lebanon, 357,303 in Bekaa. Their situation is increasingly precarious. Access to health-care is a major problem. MSF provides child care in three clinics in the region. This study describes the needs, health-seeking behaviour and health-care habits, for refugee children under 5 years in Bekaa, aiming to define the objectives for the project for 2018.

Methods: a survey was conducted in July 2017, in 384 households, 78% in informal-tented-settlements; after 3 focus groups were carried out. The sample was systematically stratified in 7 zones. It evaluated socio-demographic characteristics, health habits, illness prevention, access to health-care, nutrition practices, management of diarrhea, respiratory infections (RI) and fever, knowledge of danger signs in sick children and vaccination.

Results: 69% of households had at least one child under 5 years. 80% reported one sick child in the last month (diarrhea 64%, RI 30%). 20% didn’t seek health-care because of cost of consultation and transport. 56% knew how to manage and recognised danger signs in case of diarrhea, 81% in case of RI. 76% knew signs of fever and treatment, however, only 10% knew how to measure temperature. 33% had a child hospitalized in the last year (diarrhea and RI complications). Of the 44% referred by a primary-health center, 28% didn’t go because of costs and had complications. 7% have never been vaccinated. It isn’t a priority for caretakers.

Conclusion: the majority of Syrian refugees are below poverty line. Overcrowding, poor living conditions, lack of hygiene, poor diet and restriction of movement due to fear, put children at risk for diseases. The main limitations for accessing health-care are its costs. The need of education in regards to child care is identified as a priority, in order to reinforce prevention and timely access to health care.