2011 Articles

Between “Voluntary Migrants” and War Refugees: The Health of the Shan Burmese Migrant Workers in Northern Thailand

Verma, Nishant; Su, Celina; Chan, Coralie; Muennig, Peter A.

The Shan are a large migrant group from Burma (Myanmar) found within Thailand. While some Shan migrate to escape the civil war within Burma, others migrate for economic opportunity. Despite the size of this population, little is known about their health. Our study highlights the need for expanded access to primary care among this Shan population. Despite the arduous and trying journeys of these Shan migrants, they do not display the level of health sometimes attributed to health selection among immigrant groups.