health and mortality differentials among myanmar, laos, and cambodian migrants in thailand nucharee...

Health and mortality differentials among Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodian migrants in ThailandNucharee Srivirojana and Sureeporn Punpuing, Institute for Population and Social Research, Mahidol University, Thailand

Undocumented migrants from Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia are marginalized. Working in 3D

jobs, living in unhygienic and poor sanitary condition, lack of knowledge, limit access to

health services and mobility condition intensify migrant’s vulnerability to health problems and

mortality.

Data from annual epidemiological surveillance reports, Ministry of Public Health, (1998- 2006)

and 2,858 migrant death cases from vital registration statistics, Ministry of Interior, (2004-

2008) were analyzed by using descriptive and bi-variate analyses

Myanmar and Cambodian migrants are still vulnerable to health and mortality problem when

compare with Laos migrants and native Thai.

Differences in sex, age and nationalities also influence health and mortality differentials among

these migrants.

Health services and preventive strategies, should be developed as appropriate for sex, age,

and nationalities of the migrants to counter accidents and occupational health hazard

especially among labour force age male migrants from Myanmar and Cambodia.

More effort to reduce death from maternal and child health, and infectious disease among female

migrants should be enhanced.

ResultsFigure 1 Case fatality rate of Myanmar, Laos, Cambodian migrants and native Thai during 1998 to 2006

Source: Annual Epidemiological Surveillance Report 1998-2006, Ministry of Public Health

Myanmar and Cambodian migrants tend to have higher case fatality rate when compare with Laos

migrants and native Thai (figure 1).

Data & Method

Objective

Introduction

To find out health and mortality differential among Myanmar, Laos and Cambodian migrants in

Thailand.

Fig. 2: Different in cause of death among Myanmar, Laos and Cambodian migrants in Thailand during 2004-2008

Source: Vital registration 2004-2008, Ministry of Interior

Laos and Cambodian migrants have the same pattern on major cause of death due to non-

infectious diseases while accident is prominent among Myanmar migrants (figure 2).

Fig.6: Pattern of Myanmar, Laos and Cambodian migrants death in Thailand by age groups during 2004-2008


Acute diarrhea, pyrexia of unknown origin and pneumonia are major causes of sickness among these three nationalities. Malaria is only a major

concern among Myanmar and Cambodian migrants while sexual transmitted diseases is outstanding among Laos migrants (figure 4).

Malaria, pneumonia and tuberculosis are major causes of death among Myanmar and Cambodian

migrants while major concern among Laos migrants is only pneumonia. (figure 5).


Fig.5: Comparison major surveillance causes of death among Myanmar, Laos and Cambodian migrants and native Thai in 2006

Myanmar and Laos male migrants die more due to accident than female migrants while majority of Cambodian male migrants die due to murder and

suicide. Infectious diseases stand out as a major cause of death for female migrants among the three

nationalities. (figure 3).


Fig.4: Comparison major surveillance causes of sickness among Myanmar, Laos and Cambodian migrants and native Thai in 2006

Fig.3: Comparison different cause of death between male and female migrants in 2004-2008


Pattern of migrants death by age group among the three nationalities are quite similar. However,

Cambodian migrant orphans and young adults die more during age 0-4 and 15-24 year old. Pattern of Laos migrant death change to become higher than the other two nationalities after age 49 year old.

Discussion & Recommendation

The authors are gratefully acknowledge kind support from the Royal Golden Jubilee Ph.D Program from the Royal Thai Government and IPSR in providing scholarship and

funding support for conducting this study.

Acknowledgement

References Annual Epidemiological Surveillance Report 1998-

2006, Ministry of Public Health Vital registration 2004-2008, Ministry of Interior

Myanmar and Cambodian orphan migrants die from non-infectious such as maternal and child health

while Laos orphan migrants die more from accident (figure 7).

Accidents also happen more on Myanmar and Cambodian labour force age migrants rather than Laos migrants while most of the elderly migrants

die due to non-infectious disease except Cambodian elderly migrants who die more due to

infectious diseases and accident (figure 7).

Fig.7: Different in cause of death among orphan, labour force age and elderly migrants in Thailand during 2004-2008


PAA 2009, 30 April - 2 May 2009, Detroit, Michigan, USA

21

37

56

20

33

9

35

7

5

26

11

36

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Infectious Non infectious Accident Murder & Suicide

Percentage

Myanmar

Laos

Cambodia

0

5

10

15

20

25

0-4

5--9

10--

14

15--

19

20-2

4

25--

29

30--

34

35--

39

40--

44

45-4

9

50-5

4

55-5

9

60-6

4

65-6

9

70-7

4

75+

Per

cent

age

Myanmar

Laos

Cambodia

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Acutediarrhoea

Malaria Pyrexia ofunknown origin

HaemorrhagicConjunctivitis

Pneumonia Food poisoning Sexuallytransmitted

diseases

Percentage

Thai

Myanmar

Laos

Cambodia

0.53

0.43

0.12

0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

0.13

0.00

1.07

0.29

0.52

0.20

0.35

0.09 0.07

0.68

0.70

0.26

0.180.20

0.24

0.74

0.64 0.48

0.42

0.12

0.080.090.11

0.160.160.13

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

1.2

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

Cas

e fa

talit

y ra

te/1

00 p

erso

n

Myanmar

Laos

Cambodia

Thai

53

3

13

0.7 1.2

23

37

10

27

9

18 18

9

2

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Pneumonia Malaria Tuberculosis Hypatitis Meiningitis

Perc

enta

ge

ThaiMyanmarCambodiaLaos

0102030405060708090

Male Female Male Female Male Female

Myanmar Laos Cambodia

Percentage

Infectious Non-infectious Accident Murder & suicide

0102030405060708090

100

Orphan 0-4 Labourforce

Elderly Orphan 0-4 Labourforce

Elderly Orphan 0-4 Labourforce

Elderly

Myanmar Laos Cambodia

Percentage

Infectious Non-infectious Accident Murder & Suicide

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