Health/nutritional status of immigrant Pakistani laborers working in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Abstract

A review of the literature on Pakistani migrant population living in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has two important hindrances. First, there is lack of availability of data while studying labor migration in Gulf countries. Second, in the literature not much work has been found exclusively for Pakistani migrants. A large number of Pakistanis are working in the KSA as semi-skilled and unskilled workers. Although labor migration improves the economic status of the households and country of the laborers, it has damaging effects on the mental and physical health of the migrant workers (1). The KSA has a high-quality healthcare system which is not beneficial to most migrant workers, because they are not eligible for the state-sponsored healthcare facilities (2). Due to lack of research works in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, there is minimal evidence about health insurance for expatriates (3).

Keywords Immigrants, Nutrition Health, Pakistan, Public Health.