Brunei: migrant health guide
Advice and guidance on the health needs of migrant patients from Brunei Darussalam for healthcare practitioners.
Main messages
If the patient is new to the UK:
- explain to them how the NHS works and their entitlements to healthcare
- discuss how this compares to the healthcare system they’ve been used to
- follow guidance on how to comprehensively assess new migrant patients
- ensure that they are up-to-date with the UK immunisation schedule
- ask about any travel plans the patient may have to visit friends and relatives in their country of origin
Screen all new entrants, including children, for tuberculosis (TB).
Consider screening for hepatitis B, particularly among those who have recently arrived. Brunei Darussalam has an intermediate prevalence.
There is a high risk of typhoid infection in Brunei Darussalam.
Consider nutritional and metabolic concerns.
Infectious diseases
Immunisation
Ensure that all patients, especially children, are up-to-date with the UK immunisation schedule. See Immunisation collection with complete schedules.
Tuberculosis
There is a high incidence of TB in Brunei Darussalam (40 to 499 cases per 100,000), so:
- screen all new entrants (including children) for TB according to NICE guidelines
- refer to TB services promptly if screening is positive
- maintain long term vigilance for symptoms of TB even if initial screening is negative
- be aware that TB is a notifiable disease
Sexually transmitted infections and HIV
Take other risk factors into consideration when assessing likely health needs relating to HIV and STIs (no data are available on HIV prevalence in Brunei Darussalam).
Hepatitis B
Brunei Darussalam has an intermediate prevalence of hepatitis B, so:
- consider screening for hepatitis B, particularly those who have recently arrived
- 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
The prevalence of hepatitis C is higher than the UK, so consider screening for hepatitis C if other risk factors apply.
Malaria
There is a very low risk of malaria in Brunei Darussalam, due to P. falciparum and P. vivax, so:
- test any unwell patient who has travelled to and from affected areas of Brunei Darussalam in the last year
- remember that malaria can be rapidly fatal
Typhoid
There is a high risk of typhoid infection in Brunei Darussalam, so:
- ensure that travellers to Brunei Darussalam 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 Brunei Darussalam
Travel plans and advice
Ask opportunistically about any travel plans the patient may have to visit friends and relatives in their country of origin. People who travel to visit friends and relatives (VFR travellers) should visit the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for overseas travel advice and National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC) for country specific travel advice prior to leaving the UK.
Nutritional and metabolic concerns
Anaemia
There is a moderate risk of anaemia in adults (estimated prevalence in non-pregnant women is 20 to 40%) and a mild risk in pre-school children (estimated prevalence 5 to 20%), so:
- be alert to the possibility of anaemia in recently arrived migrants, particularly 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:
- darker skin
- those who are not often outdoors
- those who cover up most of their skin when outdoors
Women’s health
Reproductive health indicators
| Reproductive health indicator | UK | Brunei Darussalam |
|---|---|---|
| Number of children per woman¹ | 1.7 | 1.8 |
¹lifetime average
No data are available on:
- contraceptive use
- mammography screening rates
- cervical cancer screening rates
Country profile
Health indicators and health care
WHO Global Health Observatory has a summary of health indicators and health care in Brunei Darussalam.
Culture, politics and history
BBC News and The World Factbook provide background information on the culture, politics and history of Brunei Darussalam.
Languages
The main languages used in Brunei Darussalam are:
- Malay (Bahasa Melayu)¹
- English
- Chinese dialects
¹official
Source: The World Factbook.
Religions
| Religion | Population (%) |
|---|---|
| Muslim¹ | 78.8 |
| Christian | 8.7 |
| Buddhist | 7.8 |
| Other² | 4.7 |
¹official; ²includes indigenous beliefs
Source: The World Factbook
Migration to the UK
There were almost 5,000 people from Brunei Darussalam living in England and Wales at the time of the 2011 Census.
Last updated 26 August 2021 + show all updates
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Updated country guidance on prevalence of communicable diseases and other health topics.
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First published.