OTTAWA — The latest issue of the Canadian Communicable Disease Report examined the health of the 26,166 Syrian refugees who arrived in Canada between Nov. 4, 2015 and Feb. 29, 2016.
The report was published by the Public Health Agency of Canada and is the first comprehensive look at the status of the entire group.
Here are five things to know:
1. All Syrians were screened before they were accepted to come to Canada. While all would-be immigrants, including refugees, must have a medical exam, the Syrians were examined on the same day as their interviews and security checks were done, in order to speed up the process. They also didn't have to pay for the exams, a standard cost for most others hoping to come to Canada.
2. None of those accepted arrived with illnesses considered a serious danger to public health. Of the Syrians accepted, only two had possible cases of non-infectious tuberculosis. None tested positive for HIV or syphilis. About a third of the children who arrived in Toronto had common viral illnesses. There was also a flu outbreak among 450 Syrians who arrived in Edmonton in late January.
3. There were some surprises. While the United Nations had told Canada that the Syrians could have high medical needs, those needs weren't specified. It has since emerged that some children arrived with conditions ranging from seizures to childhood cancers. Some were malnourished and others were noted to have intellectual disabilities.
4. There are still big question marks around long-term needs. The study notes that many refugees don't report chronic conditions for fear they won't be accepted. It estimates around five per cent may have chronic conditions that will reveal themselves over time. Mental health also remains an issue. "Post-traumatic stress disorder is likely to emerge over the long term, as refugees become settled in their new lives and are able to mentally process the stresses of war, displacement and loss," the report says.
5. Health-care costs were covered immediately upon arrival. The Syrians were officially Canadian permanent residents when they landed, so the complex matrix of coverage under the Interim Federal Heath Program didn't apply to those who came as government-assisted refugees. The Liberals did agree to cover extended health-care costs for privately sponsored Syrians, who, under the previous Conservative government were not covered for things like dental or prescription drugs.
