Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs
Center for Contemporary South Asia

Nasifa Nur

Resident Physician of Internal Medicine
Summer Fellow 2018
Project Title: Disease Burden Analysis and Analysis of Diphtheria Outbreak in Displaced Rohingya from Myanmar in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh

Rohingya were not recognized as one of the Myanmar's 135 ethnic groups. They don’t exist in their record, making them abandoned from all healthcare facilities. Recent humanitarian crisis including extrajudicial killing, rape and arson made their situation more vulnerable. As an unrecognized ethnic group in Myanmar, Rohingyas don’t have any data; their disease pattern and health care challenges are yet to be studied. This project aims to identify specific disease distribution among displaced Rohingya in Bangladesh which will include communicable and non-communicable diseases, malnutrition, trauma, and comorbidities among them which will provide invaluable information to tailor their medical challenges.