HEALTH OF SOMALI REFUGEES ACROSS THE WORLD: A SCOPING REVIEW
1
Executive Committee, Sustainable Health Initiatives for All (SHIFA), Jigjiga, Ethiopia
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):A3433
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Migration is a concept that is common in humanity. Since the start of the Civil War in Somalia in 1991, there has been a continuous flow of Somali refugees to the world, and now they account for a fair share of the world’s refugees. These refugees deal with unique health issues. This scoping review aims to provide, for the first time, a comprehensive overview of the health issues affecting Somali refugees and the determinants of these health outcomes, in order to facilitate future public health interventions.
METHODS:
In this scoping review, we conducted a comprehensive literature search in 13 databases to identify studies published in English since January 1991 that examined health outcomes and/or social determinants on Somali refugees. A narrative synthesis was undertaken.
RESULTS:
The search strategy yielded 4,914 articles, of which 92 met the inclusion criteria. Higher rates of communicable (i.e., tuberculosis, hepatitis B, measles) and non communicable diseases (i.e., diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, obesity, prediabetes, asthma, autism, anemia, malnutrition, and malignancies) were identified among Somali refugees. In addition, they face significant mental health challenges, including high rates of PTSD, depression, and anxiety. The most common determinants of health identified that act as barriers to proper healthcare include cultural stigma, lack of trust in Western healthcare, insufficient culturally sensitive services, language barriers, low income, high unemployment rates, and low health literacy.
CONCLUSIONS:
The review identified the complex health challenges faced by Somali refugees and immigrants, highlighting the need for holistic and culturally sensitive healthcare practices, community engagement, and targeted public health interventions. Policies that facilitate affordable healthcare access and specialized support services are essential. A future systematic review is needed to gain a further in depth understanding of the health challenges faced by Somali refugees and make further recommendations for future public health interventions.
Migration is a concept that is common in humanity. Since the start of the Civil War in Somalia in 1991, there has been a continuous flow of Somali refugees to the world, and now they account for a fair share of the world’s refugees. These refugees deal with unique health issues. This scoping review aims to provide, for the first time, a comprehensive overview of the health issues affecting Somali refugees and the determinants of these health outcomes, in order to facilitate future public health interventions.
METHODS:
In this scoping review, we conducted a comprehensive literature search in 13 databases to identify studies published in English since January 1991 that examined health outcomes and/or social determinants on Somali refugees. A narrative synthesis was undertaken.
RESULTS:
The search strategy yielded 4,914 articles, of which 92 met the inclusion criteria. Higher rates of communicable (i.e., tuberculosis, hepatitis B, measles) and non communicable diseases (i.e., diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, obesity, prediabetes, asthma, autism, anemia, malnutrition, and malignancies) were identified among Somali refugees. In addition, they face significant mental health challenges, including high rates of PTSD, depression, and anxiety. The most common determinants of health identified that act as barriers to proper healthcare include cultural stigma, lack of trust in Western healthcare, insufficient culturally sensitive services, language barriers, low income, high unemployment rates, and low health literacy.
CONCLUSIONS:
The review identified the complex health challenges faced by Somali refugees and immigrants, highlighting the need for holistic and culturally sensitive healthcare practices, community engagement, and targeted public health interventions. Policies that facilitate affordable healthcare access and specialized support services are essential. A future systematic review is needed to gain a further in depth understanding of the health challenges faced by Somali refugees and make further recommendations for future public health interventions.
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
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