Honduras: migrant health guide
Advice and guidance on the health needs of migrant patients from Honduras for healthcare practitioners.
Main messages
If the patient is new to the UK:
- explain to them how the NHS works
- discuss how this compares to the healthcare system they’ve been used to
Ensure that all patients are up-to-date with the UK immunisation schedule.
Ascertain any risk factors for hepatitis B infection that may indicate the need for screening, because Honduras has a low prevalence.
Ask opportunistically about any travel plans the patient may have to visit friends and relatives in their country of origin, and see National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC), or the Health Protection Scotland websites (TRAVAX and fitfortravel), for travel advice.
Be advised that there is a risk of malaria in some areas of Honduras.
Be advised that there is a risk of typhoid infection in Honduras.
Be alert for possible cases of Chagas disease, and refer as appropriate, because there is a risk of chronic Chagas disease in migrants from Honduras.
Consider nutritional and metabolic concerns.
Infectious diseases
Immunisation
Ensure that all patients, especially children, are up-to-date with the UK immunisation schedule.
Tuberculosis (TB)
There is a low incidence of TB in Honduras (<40 cases per 100,000), so:
- routine screening for TB is not required
- consider testing in patients (including children) who show signs and symptoms
- be aware that TB is a notifiable disease
Sexually transmitted infections and HIV
Take a sexual history, and:
- screen for STIs and HIV according to risk as specified in the UK national standards and guidelines
- test all sexually active patients under the age of 25 for chlamydia
Honduras has a low rate of HIV (≤1%), so:
- offer and recommend an HIV test if the patient:
- falls into a high risk group
- is newly registering in a high prevalence area
- be advised that national guidelines do not recommend routine consideration of HIV testing of infants and children who have recently arrived in the UK
Hepatitis B
Honduras has a low prevalence of hepatitis B, so:
- offer screening for hepatitis B to all pregnant women during each pregnancy
- immunise appropriately babies born to mothers who are hepatitis B positive, and follow-up accordingly
- be aware that the UK has a universal infant immunisation programme for hepatitis B and a selective immunisation programme for higher risk groups
Hepatitis C
Honduras has the same or lower prevalence of hepatitis C than the UK, so ascertain any risk factors for HCV infection that may indicate the need for screening.
Travel plans and advice
Ask opportunistically about any travel plans the patient may have to visit friends and relatives in their country of origin, and see National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC), or the Health Protection Scotland websites (TRAVAX and fitfortravel), for travel advice.
Malaria
There is a risk of malaria in some areas of Honduras, due to P. falciparum and P. vivax, so:
- test any unwell patient who has travelled to-and-from affected areas of Honduras in the last year
- remember that malaria can be rapidly fatal
Typhoid
There is a risk of typhoid infection in Honduras, so:
- ensure that travellers to Honduras are offered typhoid immunisation and advice on prevention of enteric fever
- remember enteric fever in the differential diagnosis of illness in patients with a recent history of travel to-or-from Honduras
Helminths
There is a risk of helminth infections in Honduras, including soil transmitted helminthiasis.
Chagas disease
There is a risk of chronic Chagas disease in migrants from Honduras, so:
- be alert for possible cases
- refer as appropriate
Women’s health
Reproductive health indicators
| Reproductive health indicator | UK | Honduras |
|---|---|---|
| Children per woman¹ | 2 | 3 |
| Use of contraception² | 82% | 65.2% |
¹lifetime average ²by woman of reproductive age or partner
No data are available on:
- mammography screening rates
- cervical cancer screening rates
Nutritional and metabolic concerns
Anaemia
There is a low risk of anaemia in adults (estimated prevalence is 5 to 20%), and a moderate risk in pre-school children (estimated prevalence is 20 to 40%), in Honduras, so:
- be alert to this possibility in recently arrived migrants, particularly for women and pre-school children
- test as clinically indicated
Vitamin D
Consider the possibility of vitamin D deficiency in people who may be at risk due to:
- covering their body for cultural or religious reasons (lack of sunlight)
- skin colour
- diet (vegan or vegetarian)
Vitamin A
There is a risk of vitamin A deficiency in Honduras.
Iodine
People from Honduras may be at risk of iodine induced hyperthyroidism due to excessive intake.
Country profile
Health indicators and health care
WHO Global Health Observatory has a summary of health indicators and health care in Honduras.
Culture, politics and history
BBC News and The World Factbook provide background information on the culture, politics and history of Honduras.
Languages
The main languages used in Honduras are:
- Spanish (official)
- Amerindian dialects
Source: The World Factbook.
Religions
| Religion | Population (%) |
|---|---|
| Roman Catholic | 97 |
| Protestant | 3 |
Source: The World Factbook.
Migration to the UK
There were over 500 people from Honduras living in England and Wales at the time of the 2011 Census.
Source: Office for National Statistics © Crown Copyright 2014.
Last updated 30 May 2019 + show all updates
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Updated country TB guidance based on the latest World Health Organization (WHO) data.
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Updated advice on testing for malaria, based on current prevalence in Honduras.
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First published.