Refugee health resources

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), more than 84 million people have been forcibly displaced as of 2021.¹  On average, more than 70,000 refugees are relocated to the United States each year.² And each year, hundreds of those refugees arrive to live here in St. Louis.³ 

Refugees often arrive with a broad spectrum of health challenges including lack of medical records, language barriers, and trauma. Here are some resources that healthcare professionals may find helpful when caring for refugee populations:  

• CDC: Immigrant, Refugee, and Migrant Health 
• CDC: Guidance for the US domestic medical examination for newly arriving refugees  
• U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants 
• Medline Plus: Consumer health information available in multiple languages 
• Health Information Translations: Health information available in multiple languages — resources are easy to read and culturally appropriate

Local resources

The International Institute of St. Louis meets refugees at the airport and transports them to their new homes. Depending on the needs of the refugee family, initial welcoming services can include registration for English classes for adults and public school for children, job program registration, community orientation, and healthcare access. 

The mission of Casa de Salud is to facilitate and deliver high-quality medical and mental health services for uninsured and underinsured patients, focusing on new immigrants and refugees who face barriers to accessing other sources of care. 

Bilingual International provides access to mental health services for refugees including access to the Care Access to New Americans (CANA) and Survivors of Torture and War Trauma program. 

More resources can be found in these sections of the Global Health Resource Guide: 

• Refugee/Immigrant Resources 
• Statistics about Refugees and Immigrants 
• Language/Cultural Resources 

Please contact askbecker@wustl.edu if you have any questions or need help finding resources. 

Sources

1. UNHCR Refugee Data Finder: https://www.unhcr.org/refugee-statistics-uat/ 
2. CDC: General Refugee Health Guidance: https://www.cdc.gov/immigrantrefugeehealth/guidelines/domestic/general/index.html 
3. Local statistics published by the International Institute: https://www.iistl.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2020/02/Refugee-Resettled-Chart-2019.pdf