Addressing dermatological needs and risk assessment in Syrian refugees (2021)

Summary: Abstract Body: The 2011 Syrian crisis has displaced over 14 million people, with nearly 1 million refugees anticipated to return by mid-2025 amidst a fragile healthcare system. This population faces heightened vulnerability to dermatologic conditions due to poor living conditions and limited access to medical care. This study aims to provide guidance for dermatologists addressing the needs of this population. Data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) database revealed that skin and subcutaneous diseases (excluding malignancies) had a prevalence rate of 19.4% among Syrians. Non-communicable dermatologic conditions demonstrated a higher overall prevalence (8.3%) and accounted for a greater proportion of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) lost (0.70%) compared to communicable conditions (5.8% prevalence, 0.26% DALYs). The most prevalent conditions were acne vulgaris (4.02%), fungal skin diseases (3.12%), and atopic dermatitis (1.34%). Notably, acne vulgaris, atopic dermatitis, and urticaria accounted for over 50% of the dermatologic DALYs, surpassing conditions such as psoriasis, viral skin diseases, contact dermatitis, and scabies. These conditions are not limited to Syria, as studies have found higher rates of communicable diseases among Syrian refugees in Lebanon and Turkey. With the anticipated return of refugees to Syria, the dermatologic disease burden is expected to rise, requiring dermatologists to be well-prepared. Treating symptoms alone is insufficient, as a rapid effort to rebuild healthcare infrastructure is essential to mitigate disease spread and reduce the long-term impact of controllable conditions. Omar Alani¹, Curtis Tam¹, Dev Patel¹, Dany Alkurdi¹, Atef Fayed³, Hamzah Ahmed¹, Keshav Sharma², Hisham Al Kukhun⁴ 1. Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States. 2. Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, United States. 3. Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC, United States. 4. Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States. Minoritized Populations and Health Disparities Research