AMMAN — The health ministry is preparing to conduct a study to measure the prevalence of communicable diseases among migrant workers in the Kingdom and the effect of these diseases on the country’s healthcare system, a health official said on Saturday.

“Jordan is a country with a high percentage of migrants and we should assess the effect of their health on the national healthcare system,” said Khalid Abu Rumman, head of the chest diseases and foreigners' health directorate at the Ministry of Health.

He said the study would be conducted this year and would involve two groups: one including Iraqi and Egyptian migrants, and the second including workers from Indonesia, Sri Lanka and the Philippines.

According to the study’s proposal, a copy of which was sent to The Jordan Times, the estimated number of Egyptian migrants residing in Jordan is 250,000, while the number of migrant workers of other nationalities is estimated at 150,000.

No estimates were provided for number of Iraqis residing Jordan.

“We should pay more attention to the migrants’ health needs,” said Abu Rumman. 

“There is a risk of introducing or reintroducing diseases that are no longer prevalent in the Kingdom if the migrants’ health needs are not addressed.”

In this regard, the ministry announced last week that all Syrian refugees entering the Kingdom would be screened for communicable diseases to prevent epidemics.