Communicable disease control in complex emergencies

Communicable diseases are the major killers in complex emergencies. Death rates among refugees and displaced persons over 60 times the baseline rates have been recorded, with over three quarters of these deaths being due to communicable diseases. In the initial phase of a complex emergency the diseases with the greatest burden are measles, diarrhoeal diseases, acute respiratory infections, and malaria where prevalent. TB and HIV/AIDS are also important health problems.