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5 result(s)
Journal Article > ResearchFull Text

A public health wound: Health and work among children engaged in the worst forms of child labour in the informal sector in Dhaka, Bangladesh: a retrospective analysis of Médecins Sans Frontières occupational health data from 2014 to 2023

BMC Public Health. 15 April 2025; Volume 25 (Issue 1); DOI:10.1186/s12889-025-22483-z
Caleo G, Sadique S, Yuce D, Dada M, Benvenuti B,  et al.
BMC Public Health. 15 April 2025; Volume 25 (Issue 1); DOI:10.1186/s12889-025-22483-z

BACKGROUND

Bangladesh has the second highest burden of child labour in South Asia. The informal sector employs most of the children however, data on health including injuries and place of work for children are limited. As the deadline for the Sustainable Development Goals to end child labour is upon us, it is paramount to document the impact of child labour on health. This study aims to contribute to this knowledge gap by presenting medical data from occupational health clinics (OHCs) set up by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in a peri-urban area of Dhaka, Bangladesh.


METHODS

We did a retrospective analysis of health care records of children attending MSF OHCs between February 2014 and December 2023. We stratified the analysis by sex and age (< 14 years and ≥ 14- < 18 years). We looked at morbidities according to type of factory, whether children reported working with machinery, and examined nutritional and mental health (2018–2023) status.


RESULTS

Over the study period, there were 10,200 occupational health consultations among children < 18 years, of which 4945 were new/first time consultations. The average age of children attending their first consultation was 14.7 years, of which 61% were male. Fifteen percent reported living inside the factory. Children worked in all prohibited categories of the informal sector. Almost all children reported operating machinery. Musculoskeletal (26%) and dermatological (20%) were the most identified conditions, and 7.5% of consultations were for work-related injuries. A higher proportion of male children had injuries (11% vs 2.5% in girls). Children working in metal factories accounted for most injuries (65%). Mood-related disorders accounted for 86% of the 51 mental health consultations. Half of all children were malnourished with higher levels in boys and those < 14 years.


CONCLUSIONS

Findings suggest that children face hazardous realities; engaged in the worst form of labour, bearing important morbidity and injury burden, with vulnerabilities varying by sex and age. Despite their economic contributions to the informal sector, they remain largely invisible and exploited. This study highlights the urgent need for child rights-based research and cross-sectoral approaches that actively involve children to develop sustainable, targeted solutions to eliminate child labour.

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Conference Material > Poster

A public health wound: health and work among children engaged in worst forms of child labour in the informal sector in Dhaka, Bangladesh. A retrospective analysis of Médecins Sans Frontières occupational health data from 2014 to 2023

Caleo G, Sadique S, Yuce D, Dada M, Benvenuti B,  et al.
MSF Scientific Days Asia 2024. 8 November 2024
Technical Report > Policy Brief

Death, despair and destitution: the human costs of the EU’s migration policies

Benvenuti B, Marshall-Denton C, McCann S, MSF (Médecins Sans Frontières)
21 February 2024; DOI:10.57740/JVOW8383
This report considers the health and humanitarian consequences of violent policies and practices on people moving along EU migration routes. It details findings from MSF medical humanitarian operations in 12 countries in Europe and Africa, as well as in the Central Mediterranean Sea. Taking stock of MSF operational experiences between August 2021 and September 2023, and drawing upon routine medical and operational data from MSF project and accounts from MSF patients and medical teams during that period, the report highlights how, at every step of people’s migration journey towards and within the EU, their health, wellbeing and dignity have been systematically undermined by the interlinking violent policies and practices embedded in EU and EU member state policies.More
Journal Article > ResearchFull Text

Health of migrants, refugees and asylum seekers in detention in Tripoli, Libya, 2018-2019: Retrospective analysis of routine medical programme data

PLOS One. 4 June 2021; Volume 16 (Issue 6); e0252460.; DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0252460
Kuehne A, Van Boetzelaer E, Alfani P, Fotso A, Elhammali H,  et al.
PLOS One. 4 June 2021; Volume 16 (Issue 6); e0252460.; DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0252460
Libya is a major transit and destination country for international migration. UN agencies estimates 571,464 migrants, refugees and asylum seekers in Libya in 2021; among these, 3,934 people are held in detention. We aimed to describe morbidities and water, hygiene, and sanitation (WHS) conditions in detention in Tripoli, Libya. We conducted a retrospective analysis of data collected between July 2018 and December 2019, as part of routine monitoring within an Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) project providing healthcare and WHS support for migrants, refugees and asylum seekers in some of the official detention centres (DC) in Tripoli. MSF had access to 1,630 detainees in eight different DCs on average per month. Only one DC was accessible to MSF every single month. The size of wall openings permitting cell ventilation failed to meet minimum standards in all DCs. Minimum standards for floor space, availability of water, toilets and showers were frequently not met. The most frequent diseases were acute respiratory tract infections (26.9%; 6,775/25,135), musculoskeletal diseases (24.1%; 6,058/25,135), skin diseases (14.1%; 3,538/25,135) and heartburn and reflux (10.0%; 2,502/25,135). Additionally, MSF recorded 190 cases of violence-induced wounds and 55 cases of sexual and gender-based violence. During an exhaustive nutrition screening in one DC, linear regression showed a reduction in mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) of 2.5mm per month in detention (95%-CI 1.3-3.7, p<0.001). Detention of men, women and children continues to take place in Tripoli. Living conditions failed to meet minimum requirements. Health problems diagnosed at MSF consultations reflect the living conditions and consist largely of diseases related to overcrowding, lack of water and ventilation, and poor diet. Furthermore, every month that people stay in detention increases their risk of malnutrition. The documented living conditions and health problems call for an end of detention and better protection of migrants, refugees and asylum seekers in Libya. More
Journal Article > Short ReportFull Text

Practicing medicine without borders: tele-consultations and tele-mentoring for improving paediatric care in a conflict setting in Somalia?

Trop Med Int Health. 29 July 2012; Volume 7 (Issue 9); 1156-1162.; DOI:10.1111/j.1365-3156.2012.03047
Zachariah R, Benvenuti B, Ayada L, Manzi M, Maalim A,  et al.
Trop Med Int Health. 29 July 2012; Volume 7 (Issue 9); 1156-1162.; DOI:10.1111/j.1365-3156.2012.03047
OBJECTIVES
In a district hospital in conflict-torn Somalia, we assessed (i) the impact of introducing telemedicine on the quality of paediatric care, and (ii) the added value as perceived by local clinicians.

METHODS
A 'real-time' audio-visual exchange of information on paediatric cases (Audiosoft Technologies, Quebec, Canada) took place between clinicians in Somalia and a paediatrician in Nairobi. The study involved a retrospective analysis of programme data, and a perception study among the local clinicians.

RESULTS
Of 3920 paediatric admissions, 346 (9%) were referred for telemedicine. In 222 (64%) children, a significant change was made to initial case management, while in 88 (25%), a life-threatening condition was detected that had been initially missed. There was a progressive improvement in the capacity of clinicians to manage complicated cases as demonstrated by a significant linear decrease in changes to initial case management for meningitis and convulsions (92-29%, P = 0.001), lower respiratory tract infection (75-45%, P = 0.02) and complicated malnutrition (86-40%, P = 0.002). Adverse outcomes (deaths and lost to follow-up) fell from 7.6% in 2010 (without telemedicine) to 5.4% in 2011 with telemedicine (30% reduction, odds ratio 0.70, 95% CI: 0.57-0.88, P = -0.001). The number needed to be treated through telemedicine to prevent one adverse outcome was 45. All seven clinicians involved with telemedicine rated it to be of high added value.

CONCLUSION
The introduction of telemedicine significantly improved quality of paediatric care in a remote conflict setting and was of high added value to distant clinicians.

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