Libya: migrant health guide
Advice and guidance on the health needs of migrant patients from Libya for healthcare practitioners.
Main messages
If the patient is new to the UK:
- explain to them how the NHS works
- discuss how this compares to the healthcare system they’ve been used to
Ensure that all patients are up-to-date with the UK immunisation schedule.
Screen all new entrants, including children, for tuberculosis (TB).
Consider screening for hepatitis B, particularly among those who have recently arrived, because Libya has an intermediate prevalence.
Consider screening for hepatitis C, because Libya has a considerably higher prevalence of hepatitis C than the UK.
Ask opportunistically about any travel plans the patient may have to visit friends and relatives in their country of origin, and see National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC), or the Health Protection Scotland websites (TRAVAX and fitfortravel), for travel advice.
Be advised that there is a risk of typhoid infection in Libya.
Consider nutritional and metabolic concerns.
Infectious diseases
Immunisation
Ensure that all patients, especially children, are up-to-date with the UK immunisation schedule.
Tuberculosis (TB)
There is a high incidence of TB in Libya (40 to 499 cases per 100,000), so:
- screen all new entrants (including children) for TB according to NICE guidelines
- refer to TB services promptly if screening is positive
- maintain long term vigilance for symptoms of TB even if initial screening is negative
- be aware that TB is a notifiable disease
Sexually transmitted infections and HIV
Take a sexual history, and:
- screen for STIs and HIV according to risk as specified in the UK national standards and guidelines
- test all sexually active patients under the age of 25 for chlamydia
Libya has a low rate of HIV (≤1%), so:
- offer and recommend an HIV test if the patient:
- falls into a high risk group
- is newly registering in a high prevalence area
- be advised that national guidelines do not recommend routine consideration of HIV testing of infants and children who have recently arrived in the UK
Hepatitis B
Libya has an intermediate prevalence of hepatitis B, so:
- consider screening for hepatitis B, particularly those who have recently arrived
- offer screening for hepatitis B to all pregnant women during each pregnancy
- immunise appropriately babies born to mothers who are hepatitis B positive and follow-up accordingly
- be aware that the UK has a universal infant immunisation programme for hepatitis B and a selective immunisation programme for higher risk groups
Hepatitis C
Libya has a considerably higher prevalence of hepatitis C than the UK, so consider screening for hepatitis C.
Travel plans and advice
Ask opportunistically about any travel plans the patient may have to visit friends and relatives in their country of origin, and see National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC), or the Health Protection Scotland websites (TRAVAX and fitfortravel), for travel advice.
Typhoid
There is a risk of typhoid infection in Libya, so:
- ensure that travellers to Libya are offered typhoid immunisation and advice on prevention of enteric fever
- remember enteric fever in the differential diagnosis of illness in patients with a recent history of travel to-or-from Libya
Women’s health
Reproductive health indicators
| Reproductive health indicator | UK | Libya |
|---|---|---|
| Children per woman¹ | 2 | 3 |
¹lifetime average
No data are available on:
- contraceptive use
- mammography screening rates
- cervical cancer screening rates
Nutritional and metabolic concerns
Anaemia
There is a moderate risk of anaemia in adults (estimated prevalence in non-pregnant women is 20 to 40%), and in pre-school children (estimated prevalence is 20 to 40%), in Libya, so:
- be alert to the possibility of anaemia in recently arrived migrants, particularly women and pre-school children
- test as clinically indicated
Vitamin D
Consider the possibility of vitamin D deficiency in people who may be at risk due to:
- covering their body for cultural or religious reasons (lack of sunlight)
- skin colour
- diet (vegan or vegetarian)
Vitamin A
There is a high risk of vitamin A deficiency in Libya.
Country profile
Health indicators and health care
WHO Global Health Observatory has a summary of health indicators and health care in Libya.
Culture, politics and history
BBC News and The World Factbook provide background information on the culture, politics and history of Libya.
Languages
The main languages used in Libya are:
- Arabic: widely understood in the major cities
- Italian: widely understood in the major cities
- English: widely understood in the major cities
- Berber (Nafusi, Ghadamis, Suknah, Awjilah, Tamash)
Source: The World Factbook
Religions
| Religion | Population (%)¹ |
|---|---|
| Muslim² | 96.6 |
| Christian | 2.7 |
| Buddhist | 0.3 |
| Unaffiliated | 0.2 |
| Other³ | 0.2 |
¹2010 est. ²official; virtually all Sunni ³includes: Hindu <0.1%, Jewish <0.1%, and folk religion <0.1%
Source: The World Factbook.
Migration to the UK
There were over 15,000 people from Libya living in England and Wales at the time of the 2011 Census.
Source: Office for National Statistics © Crown Copyright 2014.
Updates to this page
Published 31 July 2014Last updated 8 April 2016 + show all updates
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Removed advice on helminths, based on current prevalence in Libya.
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First published.