What we are doing?
The project aims to investigate the feasibility of screening recently arrived migrants (<5 years) for tuberculosis, HIV and hepatitis B and C within community settings. The project consists of three work-packages:
- Work-package one aims to understand the current approaches to migrant screening through a) a systematic review of the latest scientific literature and b) focus groups with migrants and semi-structured interviews with stakeholders on screening barriers and enables.
- Work-package two is the co-design of a feasibility study to screen migrants in community centres in Leicester.
- Work-package three will be testing the feasibility study designed in work-package two at multiple community centres in Leicester.
Why we are doing it?
Current services for migrants is not meeting demand in the UK. Migrants are one of the most under served populations in our society, suffering from higher rates or morbidity and mortality than other demographics. This project aims to address these short comings and alleviate pressure on NHS services by bringing screening services into their communities to increase engagement.
What the benefits will be and to whom?
Migrants, particularly asylum seekers and refugees, at the most marginalized and underrepresented social group in our society. They suffer from significantly higher rates of morbidity and mortality which, among other factors, is due to a lack of engagement with healthcare (partly through mistrust, hesitancy or confusion with the NHS system). Earlier screening of infectious diseases leads to better outcomes and reduction in transmission and will significantly improve the quality of life for recently arrived migrants.
Who we are working with?
The primary supervisor for this project is Professor Manish Pareek, a consultant of infectious diseases at the University Hospitals of Leicester and Chair of infectious disease and director of the Development Centre for Population Health, and NIHR ARC Lead for ethnicity and health inequalities. In addition, the secondary supervisor is Professor Laura Gray a professor of medical statistics and co lead Biostatistics Research Group, and NIHR ARC Theme Lead for Data2Health.
Further support is provided by members of the Pareek research group and members of the Clinical Microbiology Department at the University hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust.
Contact
Paul William Bird, Clinical Scientist, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, paul.bird@uhl-tr.nhs.uk.