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Objectives There were 74, 751 asylum applications made to the UK in 2022, with 23, 841 being offered protection.1 This study aims to identify common health concerns of accompanied refugee and asylum-seeking (RAS) children in Cardiff, to inform the creation of a public health resource. This resource will be given to parents at Initial Assessment (IA) clinics to empower their handling of their child's health. Methods A mixed-method approach was applied. Retrospective collation of data from medical records of a sample of 100 accompanied RAS paediatric patients at Cardiff and Vale Health Inclusion Service (CAVHIS) from September 2022 to May 2023 was analysed, with sample selection based on diversity of country of origin. Data collation provided insight into possible common health concerns: demographics, screening, Illnesses, concerns, and advice. Prospective data was collected during IA appointments attended during 22nd May 2023 to 14th June 2023, with parents asked a standardised question: 'What information on childhood health and medical conditions would you want to know more about?'. Results Most common countries of origin were Afghanistan and Ukraine, which have referral systems through resettlement schemes.2 72 of the 100 patients had an illness addressed, with the most common categories of disease being Respiratory (29%) and Infection (21%). The most common disease was URTI. See table 1 for the full list of illnesses. On the basis of service provision, 45% of patients did not have vaccinations with full evidence, 62% and 50% of patients received dietary and dental advice accordingly, and 28% required Red Cross service referral. The 8 answers to the parent standardised question can be seen in table 2. The results of common ailments, service provisions advice, and parental concerns was in line with RAS children research done in other areas of the UK.3–5 Conclusion In conclusion, the focus of both common minor ailments and frequent public health advice such as diet and service provision such as Red Cross, highlights the importance of creating a public health resource where all this information can be collated for parents. In addition, parents' answers highlighted areas of concern which were priorly not noted such as mental health, and some areas which are further emphasised such as diet and service access. In collaboration with Public Health Wales, the creation of this booklet has begun with the study findings on common health concerns influencing the content of the resource. References Asylum Statistics, Georgina Sturge House of Commons Library, 12/09/23 UNHCR United Kingdom, 2022 Stevens AJ. How can we meet the health needs of child refugees, asylum seekers and undocumented migrants? 2020. Perry M. Inequalities in vaccination coverage and differences in follow-up procedures for asylum-seeking children arriving in Wales, 2020. Harkensee C. Health needs of accompanied refugee and asylum-seeking children in a UK specialist clinic, 2021.
Adoghe et al. (Tue,) studied this question.