Assessment of Rwanda Refugee Camps in the Context of the Villagization Process
Undergraduate researcher for the Hunt Institute for Engineering and Humanity and Engaged Learning Fellow Sienna Dugan, researched secondary sources and primary research through site visits, participatory observation, and interviews with key informants to compile this report which is structured like a case study with additional literature review. All photography is original to the student from her in-field research.
Undergraduate researcher for the Hunt Institute for Engineering and Humanity and Engaged Learning Fellow Sienna Dugan, researched secondary sources and primary research through site visits, participatory observation, and interviews with key informants to compile this report which is structured like a case study with additional literature review. All photography is original to the student from her in-field research.
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3.1.2 Disease
According to the 2017 Rwanda Country Report, published by the UNHCR, the crude
mortality rate throughout the camps ranged between 0.07 – 0.28 deaths/1,000/month and the under
5 mortality rate ranged between 0.1 – 0.4 deaths/1,000/month (see Figure 5).9 Out of 355,559 total
consultations 33.8% of patients were diagnosed with Upper Respiratory Tract Infections, 10.3%
of patients were diagnosed with Malaria, 5.7% of patients were diagnosed with Intestinal Worms,
and 50.2% of patients were diagnosed under the category of other. Aside from communicable
diseases, people suffered primarily from cardiovascular disease, endocrine and metabolic
disorders, digestive disorders, respiratory disorders, epilepsy and seizures, severe emotional
disorders, and psychotic disorders. Of injuries reported, 99.6% were accidents (see Figure 6). With
only 5 health facilities equipped, constructed or rehabilitated to care for these refugees in 2017,
100% of people had access to primary health care. With such large numbers of projected influx,
this number is expected to decrease to 75% in 2018. Secondary and tertiary level health care is
extremely limited due to inadequate budgets and distance. The standard operating procedures
dictated by the UNHCR state that the medical insurance, “policy covers the Primary Healthcare,
Reproductive Health/HIV, Referral care and Acute Emergency Lifesaving care of pre-identified
target groups, i.e. children under 12 years old; elderly population over 60 years old; people living
with HIV/AIDS, TB and non-communicable diseases, including psychiatric diseases; women in
the reproductive age group; and all refugees with acute lifesaving emergencies.” Although this
stringent definition allows the UNHCR to report 100% access to medical care, adult refugees
9 “Country Report Rwanda .” UNHCR, 2017, reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/Rwanda_2017_Country.pdf.
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