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Abstract

Background: Given the potential impact of migrants on the spread of communicable diseases, this paper delves into the relationship between migrants and communicable respiratory and vaccine-preventable diseases.

Method: A spatial panel autoregressive model is applied on the provincial level data in Thailand from the period 2016 to 2021.

Results: The results show that the impact of migrants on communicable diseases in the country varies depending on the type of disease. While an increase in migrant numbers is associated with a higher incidence of influenza, the prevalence of hepatitis B is reduced. Additionally, other socio-economic factors, such as GPP per capita, the poverty rate, accessibility to technology, and the proportion of elderly individuals, are found to closely relate to such diseases.

Conclusion: The results emphasise the significance of considering disease-specific patterns and the broader socio-economic context when studying the impact of migration on communicable diseases, particularly communicable respiratory and vaccine preventable diseases such as influenza and hepatitis B.

Keywords: migrants; health issue; communicable respiratory diseases; vaccine preventable diseases; Thailand

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