COVID-19 vaccine coverage, determinants and inequity amongst refugees and migrants in Pakistan: a cross-sectional study.

Autor:	Padhani ZA; School of Public Health, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.; Robinson Research Institute, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia., Rahman AR; Institute for Global Health and Development, The Aga Khan University, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan., Lakhani S; Community Health Sciences, The Aga Khan University, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan., Yasin R; Institute for Global Health and Development, The Aga Khan University, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan., Khan MH; Institute for Global Health and Development, The Aga Khan University, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan., Mirani M; Institute for Global Health and Development, The Aga Khan University, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan., Jamali M; Institute for Global Health and Development, The Aga Khan University, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan., Ali Khan Z; Institute for Global Health and Development, The Aga Khan University, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan., Khatoon S; Institute for Global Health and Development, The Aga Khan University, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan., Partab R; Institute for Global Health and Development, The Aga Khan University, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan., Ul Haq A; Youth Association for Development, Quetta, Pakistan., Kampalath V; University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA., Hosseinalipour SM; University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland., Blanchet K; Global Health Development, University of Geneva Faculty of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland., Das JK; Institute for Global Health and Development, The Aga Khan University, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan jai.das@aku.edu.; Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, The Aga Khan University, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan.
Jazyk:	angličtina
Zdroj:	BMJ open [BMJ Open] 2024 Apr 29; Vol. 14 (4), pp. e080954. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Apr 29.
DOI:	10.1136/bmjopen-2023-080954
Abstrakt:	Objective: Migrants and refugees are at a disadvantage in accessing basic necessities. The objective of this study is to assess the inequity in access, needs and determinants of COVID-19 vaccination among refugees and migrant populations in Pakistan. Design: We conducted a mixed-method study comprising a cross-sectional survey and a qualitative study. In this paper, we will only report the findings from the cross-sectional survey. Setting: This survey was conducted in different cities of Pakistan including Quetta, Karachi and Hyderabad. Participants: A total of 570 participants were surveyed including refugees and migrants, both in regular and irregular situations. Primary and Secondary Outcome Measures: The primary outcome of the study was to estimate the proportion of refugees and migrants, both in regular and irregular situations vaccinated against COVID-19 and assess the inequity. The χ 2 test and Fisher's exact test were used to determine the significant differences in proportions between refugees and migrants and between regions. Results: The survey showed that only 26.9% of the refugee and migrant population were tested for COVID-19, 4.56% contracted coronavirus, and 3.85% were hospitalised due to COVID-19. About 66% of the refugees and migrants were fully vaccinated including those who received the single-dose vaccine or received all two doses, and 17.6% were partially vaccinated. Despite vaccination campaigns by the government, 14.4% of the refugee and migrant population remained unvaccinated mostly because of vaccines not being offered, distant vaccination sites, limited access, unavailability of COVID-19 vaccine or due to a difficult registration process. Vaccination rates varied across provinces, genders and migrant populations due to misconceptions, and several social, cultural and geographical barriers. Conclusion: This study highlights the COVID-19 vaccine coverage, access and inequity faced by refugees and migrants during the pandemic. It suggests early prioritisation of policies inclusive of all refugees and migrants and the provision of identification documents to ease access to basic necessities. Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared. (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)
Databáze:	MEDLINE
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