Abstract
Introduction
Israel hosts documented labor migrants (DLM), and recently also undocumented migrants (UDM), mostly from Horn of Africa. This study aims to compare treatment outcomes and other clinical aspects between a sample of 154 DLM and 113 UDM who were treated in two tuberculosis clinics between 2005 and 2010.
Results and Discussion
Compared to DLM, UDM were younger males, stayed in Israel for shorter periods, had lower coverage of medical insurance, were less likely to be employed, and had greater difficulties in communication with the medical staff. UDM were more likely to demonstrate tuberculosis-related symptoms than DLM, were more commonly diagnosed with pulmonary TB, and had shorter patient and system delays and their treatment success rate was better than DLM, who were more likely to be transferred out.
Conclusion
UDM achieved better treatment outcomes, as they were screened upon entry and treatment was initiated in detention, while DLM were diagnosed in the community and may have felt more secure to abandon treatment.
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References
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Acknowledgments
The Authors would like to thank Ms. Gabi Bernstein for her assistance in the archive of the TB clinic in Tel Aviv and to Ms. Miri Yehuda from the department of tuberculosis and AIDS in the Ministry of Health, Jerusalem, for her excellent data keeping. The study was partially funded by the League against tuberculosis and lung disease in Israel.
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Eisenberg, J.R., Lidji, M., Gelfer, E. et al. Same but Different: Tuberculosis Treatment and Care Among Migrants from Different Countries of Origin in Israel. Lung 192, 863–867 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00408-014-9635-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00408-014-9635-0