Keywords
immigrants
law regulations
tuberculosis
Ukrainian citizens
Abstract
IMMIGRANTS AND TUBERCULOSIS IN EUROPE – ARE WE PREPARED FOR OUTBREAK?
Introduction. International travel and immigration have led to a rise in the incidence of tuberculosis in European countries, mainly due to migration from Africa and the Middle East.
Aim. In this article we point to an additional migration path - from Ukraine - and the threat of tuberculosis associated with this migration and we discuss our preparation for an increase in the incidence of this disease.
Discussion. It is estimated that about 1.5-2.5 million Ukrainians work or live in Poland or the EU. This results from the implementation of some EU directives and Polish law regulations, which simplifi ed an access of the Ukrainian citizens to the European labor market. Importantly, Ukraine is one of the 18 high-priority countries to fi ght tuberculosis in the WHO European Region and among the top 20 highest drug-resistant tuberculosis burden countries in the world. More importantly, there is no unitary tuberculosis screening program for migrants in the EU member states. For this reason, we have no reliable data on tuberculosis burden in any nationality group of immigrants in Europe, including Ukrainians.
Conclusions. Nurses have always dealt with infectious diseases, they have always been and will be the last line of defense against the epidemic. Any epidemic, including tuberculosis. Perhaps, in the absence of an integrated tuberculosis policy in Europe, our only future are the experience, skills and dedication of nurses.
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