Guidance

El Salvador: migrant health guide

Advice and guidance on the health needs of migrant patients from El Salvador for healthcare practitioners.

Main messages

If the patient is new to the UK:

Screen all new entrants, including children, for tuberculosis (TB).

Due to a low prevalence, ascertain any risk factors for hepatitis B infection that may indicate the need for screening.

Be alert for possible cases of Chagas disease, and refer as appropriate, because there is a risk of chronic Chagas disease in migrants.

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 El Salvador (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 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

El Salvador 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

Hepatitis B

El Salvador 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

El Salvador 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

Typhoid

There is a risk of typhoid infection in El Salvador, so:

  • ensure that travellers to El Salvador 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 El Salvador

Helminths

There is a risk of soil transmitted helminth infections.

Chagas

There is a risk of chronic Chagas disease in migrants from El Salvador, so:

  • be alert for possible cases
  • refer as appropriate

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 pre-school children (estimated prevalence is 20 to 40%), 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

Vitamin A

There may be a risk of vitamin A deficiency.

Women’s health

Reproductive health indicators

Reproductive health indicator UK El Salvador
Number of children per woman¹ 1.7 2.0
Use of contraception² 71.7% 71.9%

¹lifetime average; ²by woman of reproductive age or partner

Country profile

Health indicators and health care

WHO Global Health Observatory provides a summary of health indicators and health care in El Salvador.

Culture, politics and history

BBC News and The World Factbook have background information on the culture, politics and history of El Salvador.

Languages

The main languages used in El Salvador are Spanish (official) and Nawat (among some Amerindians).

Source: The World Factbook

Religions

Religion Population (%)
Roman Catholic 50
Protestant 36
Other religions 2
None 12

Source: The World Factbook

Migration to the UK

At the time of the 2011 census there were over 800 people from El Salvador living in England and Wales.

Source: Office for National Statistics

Published 31 July 2014
Last updated 7 September 2021 + show all updates
  1. Updated country guidance on prevalence of communicable diseases and other health topics.

  2. First published.