Microbiome research potential for developing holistic approaches to improve refugee health

Abstract

Morbidity from disease is increasingly being understood as dependent on wellbeing of the ecosystem, as opposed to an isolated element. However, the combined burden of disequilibrium of the gut microbiome ecosystem – which can facilitate proliferation of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) – is not well understood. The gap in knowledge grows when considering regions, such as the Gaza Strip, where the population continues to experience recurrent conflicts, movement restrictions, and high rates of poverty, food insecurity and unemployment.^1^ The concurrent rise of gut microbiome disequilibrium, AMR proliferation, and displacement of populations globally – combined with lack of data – poses significant but unknown risk to public health, in displaced and host communities alike. Examining the current landscape of research, and existing gaps solidifies the need for interdisciplinary perspectives to address AMR through exploration of the gut microbiome. This holistic approach can help account for the political, socio-economic, and material factors, in the context of regions experiencing conflict/war. The growing role of microbiota in health may hold answers to questions surrounding understudied conditions such as AMR, and even non-communicable or chronic diseases.