[Morbidity among African immigrant population attended at a health center].

OBJECTIVE

To deepen the demographic study of the immigrant population from West Africa who regularly sought health-care at our Health Centre and to analyse their morbidity.

DESIGN

A retrospective observation study of a crossover type.

SETTING

Salt Basic Health Area, in the Girona Health Region.

PATIENTS

The black population originating in West Africa and resident in Salt, whose clinical notes were in the Centre's records.

RESULTS

The 57 people registered attended 436 times, of which 289 were for the Paediatric Clinics. Of these 289, 40% were handled by the paediatric nurses. The average frequency of visit by age ranged from 2 attendances a year (20-29 years old) to 14 per year (under 14 years old). In 25.95% of the consultations involving paediatric teams and in 19.05% of those involving adults, no medical diagnosis was made. The most common paediatric diagnoses were, following the CIPSAP-2-WONCA classification: Supplementary Classification (25.95%) and Pathology of the Respiratory System (20.07%). Among adults, Pathologies of the Digestive System (21.77%) and Infectious and Parasite Diseases (12.93%) were the two most common illnesses. Additional tests to assist diagnosis or a simple preventive screening were rarely requested.

CONCLUSIONS

Tackling the problems of the black-african population at the Primary Care level is limited by lack of knowledge of tropical diseases, the scant specific bibliography available, linguistic and cultural barriers and the lack of institutional delivery of health-care to the clandestine population. Alternatives are proposed, such as: an operating procedure, and interdisciplinary socio-sanitary programme.