Afghan Refugees

For decades, millions of Afghans have experienced the pernicious and health-damaging effects of conflict, poverty, food and economic insecurity, and lack of access to healthcare. Hundreds of thousands of Afghan refugees have resettled in the United States since the 1980s. The estimated 80,000 Afghans evacuated in August 2021 have been traumatized in multiple ways. The multifaceted duress of pre-evacuation from Afghanistan, living in camps during immigration, and challenges of adaptation in the U.S. have taken a huge toll on the health and well-being of Afghan refugees, especially the most vulnerable - children, women, and the elderly.

The resettlement of Afghan refugees is a pressing issue for refugees and service providers including federal, state, and local health jurisdictions, resettlement agencies, physicians, healthcare providers, and school districts. Service providers lack sufficient culturally congruent technical expertise, leading to Afghan refugees' medical challenges being overlooked or overmedicalized. This in turn, results in suffering to refugees and enormous healthcare costs.