Yemen: migrant health guide
Advice and guidance on the health needs of migrant patients from Yemen 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 Yemen has a high prevalence.
Consider screening for hepatitis C, because Yemen has a considerably higher prevalence 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 malaria in some areas of Yemen.
Be advised that there is a risk of typhoid infection in Yemen.
Be aware that female genital mutilation (FGM) has been estimated to affect more than 30% of women and girls in Yemen.
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 Yemen (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
Yemen 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
Yemen has a high 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
Yemen 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.
Malaria
There is a risk of malaria in some areas of Yemen, mainly due to P. falciparum, so:
- test any unwell patient who has travelled to-and-from affected areas of Yemen in the last year
- remember that malaria can be rapidly fatal
Typhoid
There is a risk of typhoid infection in Yemen, so:
- ensure that travellers to Yemen 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 Yemen
Helminths
There is a risk of helminth infections in Yemen, including:
- schistosomiasis
- soil transmitted helminthiasis
Women’s health
Reproductive health indicators
| Reproductive health indicator | UK | Yemen |
|---|---|---|
| Children per woman¹ | 2 | 6 |
| Use of contraception² | 82% | 23.1% |
¹lifetime average ²by woman of reproductive age or partner
No data are available on:
- mammography screening rates
- cervical cancer screening rates
Female genital mutilation
Female genital mutilation (FGM) has been regularly documented in Yemen, so be advised that:
- children born in the UK may be at risk of FGM during visits to friends and relatives in Yemen
- it is illegal to take girls who are British nationals or permanent residents of the UK abroad for FGM, whether or not it is lawful in Yemen
If you are concerned that a British citizen may be taken overseas for the purpose of FGM, please call the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 020 7008 1500 or email fgm@fco.gov.uk.
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 a high-risk in pre-school children (estimated prevalence is >40%), in Yemen, 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 risk of vitamin A deficiency in Yemen.
Country profile
Health indicators and health care
WHO Global Health Observatory has a summary of health indicators and health care in Yemen.
Culture, politics and history
BBC News and The World Factbook provide background information on the culture, politics and history of Yemen.
Languages
Arabic is the official language of Yemen.
Source: The World Factbook.
Religions
| Religion | Population (%)¹ |
|---|---|
| Muslim² | 99.1 |
| Other³ | 0.9 |
¹2010 est. ²official; virtually all are citizens, an estimated 65% are Sunni and 35% are Shia ³includes Jewish, Baha’i, Hindu, and Christian; many are refugees or temporary foreign residents
Source: The World Factbook.
Migration to the UK
There were almost 18,000 people from Yemen 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 18 April 2016 + show all updates
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Updated advice on risks of hep B, helminths, anaemia and FGM based on current prevalences in Yemen.
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First published.