Skin diseases among internally displaced Tawerghans living in camps in Benghazi, Libya

Background Benghazi has received many internally displaced persons (IDPs) from other Libyan cities as a result of the armed conflict in Libya. These groups have significant health problems associated with their displacement, including skin diseases. Objectives This study aimed to determine the spect...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of dermatology 2016-09, Vol.55 (9), p.1000-1004
Main Author: Elfaituri, Safa S.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acne Vulgaris - epidemiology
Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Child
Eczema - epidemiology
Female
Hair Diseases - epidemiology
Humans
Libya - epidemiology
Male
Middle Aged
Prevalence
Prospective Studies
Psychophysiologic Disorders - epidemiology
Refugees - statistics & numerical data
Skin Diseases - epidemiology
Skin Diseases, Infectious - epidemiology
Young Adult
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Summary:Background Benghazi has received many internally displaced persons (IDPs) from other Libyan cities as a result of the armed conflict in Libya. These groups have significant health problems associated with their displacement, including skin diseases. Objectives This study aimed to determine the spectrum and frequency of skin diseases among people living in IDP camps in Benghazi. Methods A total of 480 IDP camp residents with complaints of skin diseases were studied over a period of 6 months. Results All subjects were ethnic Tawerghans; about three‐quarters were female and half were adults. The disease types found to occur at the highest frequencies were skin infections (40.0%), followed by xerosis (31.3%), eczema (18.3%), acne (17.0%), hair‐related diseases (6.7%), and psychosomatic diseases (3.0%). Conclusions People who are resident in IDP camps have skin problems similar to those of other populations in similar circumstances. They have increased vulnerability to infections, environment‐associated disorders such as xerosis cutis and eczema, and diseases of psychosomatic origin.
ISSN:0011-9059
1365-4632
DOI:10.1111/ijd.13115