Conflict driven displacement and child health: Evidence from Jordan

Abstract

AbstractBackgroundArmed conflicts result in greater vulnerability and socioeconomic inequality of populations besides risking their health and well-being. Conflict intensifies the health needs and risks the life and well-being of individuals at large through displacement. Therefore, our study aims to apprise the interventions to which children under-five living in Jordan are especially at risk for acute respiratory infections, diarrhea, and fever in the conflict circumstances.MethodsSecondary data analysis is used in the present study. We used a weighted sample of around 9650 children from Jordan Population and Family Health Survey (JPFHS), 2017-18. Bivariate analysis including prevalence rates were used to examine the distribution of socio-demographic characteristics of children. The study has also used multinomial logistic regression model, in order to evaluate the variations in the probability of nationality of under-five children living in Jordan.Results“Syrian nationalist” children have a higher relative risk of ARI (RRR=1.19, [1.08, 1.32]), and “Other-nationalist” children have two times greater risk of ARI compared to “Jordanian children.” The relative risk of diarrhea is lower among “Syrian nationalist” and “Other-nationalist” children compared to “Jordanian children.” Children belong “Other-nationalist” are found to be less relative risk of fever (RRR=0.9, [0.80, 1.01]) than “Jordanian children.”ConclusionsOur study concludes that conflict-driven displacement has an immediate effect on child health through access, availability, and affordability of health care services, resulting in more significant health care risks. Coordinated and effective measures are needed to provide the best health care services among the displaced populations to prevent health risks.