Home Institution

Washington University in St. Louis

Publication Date

Spring 2023

Program Name

Switzerland: Global Health and Development Policy

Abstract

As life expectancies increase in many places around the world, the prevalence of aging populations has increased. Consequently, increased numbers of people globally, especially in developing countries, have been diagnosed with conditions associated with old age. Dementia, a group of conditions associated with impaired cognitive functions, is among these. Notwithstanding, many developing countries have done poorly with regards to diagnosing and treating dementia, with some cultures not even having a word to describe the condition. (ADI 2022). The lack of a diagnosis and knowledge about dementia for some refugee communities has led to healthcare challenges in their host countries (Corfield et al. 2019). From diagnosing dementia, to providing adequate treatment and adapting humanitarian aid response to allow for equal access to healthcare for these populations, humanitarian actors dealing with refugees have a large responsibility to ensure the well-being of this group. My research looks at the way these groups are currently interacting with healthcare systems in order to explore gaps in healthcare access and the potential ways humanitarian actors are dealing with these gaps. I am focusing my research on Lebanon, the country that hosts the highest number of refugees per capita worldwide according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and Switzerland, a country that hosts a significant number of refugees from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

Disciplines

Emergency and Disaster Management | Geriatrics | Migration Studies | Neurology | Peace and Conflict Studies | Public Health

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