June 20, 2024, marks World Refugee Day. Refugees are vulnerable groups who face forced migration due to natural disasters and wars. Currently, many countries are facing devastating effects of climate change related disasters and man-made disasters that is rising the infant and child mortality and morbidity rates. Many young refugee children are suffering from malnutrition, communicable and non-communicable diseases, and poor health outcomes due to lack of adequate healthcare facilities, inadequate and inequitable humanitarian aid, unsafe labor and delivery, non-availability of breastfeeding counselling services, inaccessibility to safe water, unmonitored distribution of formula milk, and physical separation from parents. WHO emphasizes the importance of building inclusive health systems and ensuring equitable care for refugees worldwide and COINN support this call on this year’s World Refugee Day.
Open Access COINN members’ peer-reviewed publications on this topic:
Hirani, S. A., & Kenner, C. (2011). International Column: Effects of humanitarian emergencies on newborn and infant’s health in Pakistan. Newborn and Infant Nursing Reviews, 11 (2), 58-60. https://doi.org/10.1053/j.nainr.2011.04.002
Hirani, S. A., Richter, S., Salami, B. (2021). Humanitarian aid and breastfeeding practices of displaced mothers: A qualitative study in disaster relief camps. Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal, 27 (12), 1197-1202. https://doi.org/10.26719/emhj.20.087
Hirani, S. A. (2022). Caring for breastfeeding mothers in disaster relief camps: A call to innovation in nursing curriculum. Science Talks. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sctalk.2022.100089
Hirani, S. A., Richter, S., Salami, B., & Vallianatos, V. (2023). Sociocultural factors affecting breastfeeding practices of mothers during natural disasters: A critical ethnography in rural Pakistan. Global Qualitative Nursing Research, 10, 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1177/23333936221148808
Hirani, S. A. (2024). Barriers affecting breastfeeding practices of refugee mothers: A critical ethnography in Saskatchewan, Canada. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 21(4), 398; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21040398 [Indexed in PubMed, Cite Score 5.4].
Blog
Breastfeeding in Disaster Relief Camps. (July 12, 2019). Advances in Nursing Science. Retrieved from https://ansjournalblog.com/2019/07/12/breastfeeding-in-disaster-relief-camps/
Videos:
Natural disasters and displacement: Challenges and way forward. Available at: https://youtu.be/q4D9g0Sq76w
Mental Health of Refugee Mothers Matters. Available at https://youtube.com/shorts/jYt3CmDZpB0?si=CNxPRJZvXp-Lon5w
Strategies to promote breastfeeding practices of refugee mothers with PTSD. Available at: https://youtu.be/wS7gbwVqx_M
Challenges and breastfeeding barriers of refugee mothers in Saskatchewan, Canada [English version]. Available at: https://youtu.be/Ugn5wfizv0U
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