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Global Health Research on Refugees and Other Forcibly Displaced Populations: A Bibliometric Analysis from 2000 to 2024
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Global Health Research on Refugees and Other Forcibly Displaced Populations: A Bibliometric Analysis from 2000 to 2024

Zaid Ahmed Shaik, Noor Fathima Shaik and Aba Barden-Maja
International journal of environmental research and public health, v 23(7), 864
01 Jul 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph23070864
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url
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph23070864View
Published, Version of Record (VoR) Open Access Discount via Drexel Libraries Read and Publish Program 2026 Open CC BY V4.0

Abstract

The global population of forcibly displaced persons (FDPs), including refugees and asylum seekers, surpassed 120 million in 2024. Understanding research trends on FDP health is essential for addressing their complex needs. To characterize trends in health research focused on these populations, we conducted a bibliometric analysis of PubMed-indexed publications from 2000 to 2024 using the title and abstract-based search terms “refugee,” “asylum seeker,” “asylee,” and “forcibly displaced.” A total of 1590 relevant publications were included. Research output grew modestly from 2000 to 2013, surged between 2013 and 2017, and slowed from 2017 to 2024. Review articles dominated (64%), followed by comparative studies (13%) and randomized controlled trials (8%). Mental and psychosocial health was the most common theme (31%), followed by health policy (26%) and children/youth (22%). Non-communicable diseases (9%) and climate-related health (1.5%) were underrepresented. Geographic focus shifted from Southeast Asia and East Africa in the early 2000s, to Syria post-2016, then with emerging attention to Rohingya and Ukrainian refugees in the early 2020s. This study provides an updated overview of Pubmed-indexed research trends, and highlights thematic and geographic gaps that warrant further investigation.

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