The challenge of establishing an evidence-based and migrant sensitive approach to tuberculosis screening of inbound migrants to Sri Lanka

• Main Authors: S Samaraweera, K Wickramage
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Sri Lankan Society for Microbiology 2014-10-01
• Series: Sri Lankan Journal of Infectious Diseases
• Subjects: migrants, tuberculosis screening, health policy
• Online Access: https://sljid.sljol.info/articles/6719

<p><span>Limited attention has been made by countries of ‘new immigration’ to define an immigration medical examination requirement of inbound migrant flows. Importation of TB through inbound migration routes have been a largely neglected strategy in TB control in Sri Lanka despite increasing migrant flows from endemic regions. We contend that establishing a health assessment for those long stay resident visa applicants to Sri Lanka may be useful in mitigating the spread of TB. However the approach should harness a ‘rights based’ approach to health assessment, and also be linked to the national health system. In this way the assessment becomes a vital mechanism for global public health good rather than be perceived as a tool for discrimination or immigration control. Migrants need to be included in national and global TB control strategies, especially since mobility is a key feature of the post-2015 Millennium Development Goals agenda.</span></p><p>DOI: <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.4038/sljid.v4i2.6719">http://dx.doi.org/10.4038/sljid.v4i2.6719</a></p> <p>Sri Lankan Journal of Infectious Diseases 2014; Vol.4(2):67-76</p>