Minani Gurung, MBBS,MPH, PhD (c)
Nominated From: University of Washington
Research Site: Kathmandu University – Dhulikhel Hospital
Research Area: Migrant health, migrant mortality
Primary Mentor: Dr. Annette Fitzpatrick
Research Project
Patterns and Predictors of Mortality Among Nepalese Labor Migrant Workers in Destination Countries
There are over 3.5 million Nepalese migrant laborers in Malaysia, India, and the Gulf region. With the exception of India, there are hundreds of incidents of injuries and over a thousand deaths among Nepalese workers in these nations each year. As per the Foreign Employment Promotion Board data, the proportion of deaths to the number of migrant workers abroad amounts to 0.16 per cent, or 1.6 deaths per 1,000 migrant workers. The death rate for male migrant workers (at 1.62 deaths per 1,000 migrant workers) is higher than for female migrant workers (at 0.64 deaths per 1,000 migrant workers). According to the Foreign Employment Promotion Board of Nepal, 357 (36%) of the 1002 migrant workers who passed away in the previous Nepalese calendar year in Malaysia and the six GCC nations had cardiac-related causes of death. This number only includes individuals whose relatives filed for official compensation; it is likely that additional fatalities remain unrecorded. The government of Nepal documented the deaths of 3272 migrant laborers between 2008/2009 and 2013/2014. Heart-related deaths (26.2%), natural causes (18.3%), traffic accidents (13.6%), suicide (10.1%), occupational accidents (7.8%), and murder (1.4%) were listed as the leading causes of death. Twenty-five percent of fatalities had a cause that was “unknown.” Many other reasons for death were cited, such as homemade alcohol consumption, work overload, stress caused by fraud committed by recruitment agencies and maladaptive personal and social behavior in destination countries. However, there is lack of research on the matter to confirm the varied reasons mentioned and, as already explained, the FEPB database does not illuminate on such issues. Many deaths are related to heat stress and subsequent cardiac failure as many migrant workers in the Middle East are exposed to prolonged working hours in conditions of extreme heat. Sonmez and colleagues reported that more than one third of the South Asian migrant workers in the GCC countries work more than 50 hours per week, often continuously for months without a day off. The numbers and causes of these deaths need further investigation. The data on the deaths of Nepali migrant workers during their employment is limited and accessible from only one source, the Foreign Employment Promotion Board. However, it is not linked or tallied with any other sources that may have less data but are nevertheless useful for cross-verification and enriching analysis. Additionally, no data are available on the deaths of Nepali migrant workers in India due to the open border policy. The deaths of Nepali migrant workers in destination countries is an emerging public health problem that spans international borders but has not yet been reflected in government policies. There is an urgent need for the Governments of Nepal and host countries to take action to protect the health and well-being of Nepalese workers. When a migrant worker’s death is connected to a criminal case, many destination nations do not do a postmortem examination, and these findings are often documented in official records as “natural causes.” Frequently, there is a lack of information on the underlying causes, such as heat stress on building sites. It is challenging to determine the cause of mortality and create an efficient preventive program because of this significant information gap
Research Significance
There is a dearth of study addressing the causes impacting mortality within this community, despite the rising number of Nepalese workers going abroad. In this research, we aim to address this knowledge gap by conducting an in-depth investigation into the predictors and patterns of mortality among Nepalese labor migrant workers. Through comprehensive data collection, rigorous analysis, and engagement with stakeholders, we seek to generate evidence that can guide interventions, policies, and programs to improve the health outcomes and overall quality of life for this vulnerable population.
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