Sri Lankan migrant worker deaths while employed abroad: circumstances and causes

Abstract

Objective: Most reports of abuse and death of Sri Lankan migrant workers while employed aboard is anecdotal. This paper highlights the usefulness of a desk review in migrant workers to determine the causes of death and mortality risk for migrant workers.

Methods: A desk review of was conducted using case files of migrant workers recording deaths during 2009. Data extraction was annonymised and confidential. The information obtained was analysed to present death rates, cause of death and standardized mortality ratios compared to national mortality rates.

Results: Out of 333 deaths recorded by the SLBFE during the period of January to December 2009, 328 files with complete data was analysed. Out of these deaths 213 (65%) were of males and 115 (35%) were of females. The highest death rate was reported from Lebanon for males (5.2/ per 1000 departures) as well as females (2.9 per 1000 departures). Only 52% of files carried a death certificate and many were given causes of death not classifiable under the ICD-10. Myocardial infarction was the commonest cause of death (23%) followed by road traffic accidents, household and other accidents and injuries. When Standard Mortality Ratio (SMR) were calculated, females aged 25-29 years with a of 103.7, were at an increased risk of death relative women of the same age in Sri Lanka.

Conclusions: Although we lack direct access to data in the country of death, information available locally with the SLBFE , if analysed systematically and scientifically, can be used to highlight pertinent issues for the migrant workers.