Greek to me !

Long-term residence of these primarily healthy populations in such conditions, multiplies the chances of the occurrence of foodborne and waterborne epidemics, as well as transmittable by disease transmitters (mosquitos), burdens the overall level of bio-psychosocial health of the population, and exposes it to a series of risk factors.

The official document of Recommendation has been delivered by the Greek Center of Disease Control ( HCDCP,  KEELPNO) to the Ministry of Migration Policy, to the Ministry of National Defense and to the Ministry of Health stressing the Public Health  Emergency  at the refugee hosting facilities, according to  the surveillance groups  reports on-the-ground visits

The Greek CDC took the intitiative of assessing . the state of public health at "accommodation centres" in the Central Macedonia Region, following a ministerial decesion  and the  Inspection took place at 16 refugee reception centres during July 4, 2016 to July 8, 2016. Reports for each of the centres inspected were sent to the Office of the Head of KEELPNO.

The recommendation to the ministries , sent by the Hllellenic CDC Vicis President,  who signs the document, is based on the analysis of the inspection reports at the accomodation Centers.

Refugees are being accommodated inside warehouses the report says, and all areas  are over-crowded by  hundreds of people  without adequate ventilation, with litter accumulation and waste, poor hygiene conditions,, provision of potable water and fluctuations in quality and quantity of food, 

the report describes, stressing that

the  biggest problem is that all the centres are in close range, both to major breeding grounds of the Anopheles mosquito (Thessaloniki rice paddies, the Galliko River estuary bed, the Kalochori lagoon), which are every year consistently capturing a very significant flourishing population of the Anopheles as well as to smaller breeding grounds adjacent which are highly productive.

Summary-proposals

From the perspective of Public Health, the overall picture of the hosting centres is particularly worrying Concludes the Recommendation document, underlining that  

"Long-term residence of these primarily healthy populations in such conditions multiplies the chances of the occurrence of foodborne and waterborne epidemics as well as transmittable by disease transmitters (mosquitos), burdens the overall level of bio-psychosocial health of the population and exposes it to a series of risk factors."

the prolonged operation of the "accommodation centres", not only due to current organizational and coordination weaknesses, but mainly as a strategic approach (entrenchment of populations outside the urban web with burdened living conditions), should be firstly discontinued for the protection of Public Health.

Given the international political framework in addressing the refugee stream, it is clear that it is useless and dangerous for Public Health to treat this as a "crisis of a few months. stresses the Vice President of the Greek CDC, (hcdcp, keelpno), being a professor of Microbiology himself .

The recognition of this  reality also highlights the urgent need to immediately launch the final closure of accommodation centres and the gradual integration of refugees into society.

It is proposed to decide for the total closure of the "accommodation centres". Obviously this process should be designed on the  gradual closure and keeping in mind the burden of the risk factors describd above

Vice President of the Board of the Hellenic Center of Disease Contrlo  

Alexis Benos

Professor of Hygiene, Social Medicine and Primary Health Care