Health conditions of immigrants passing through the reception centre of Otranto between 1991 and 2000

Due to its geography and coastal development, the South part of Salento is particularly exposed to clandestine immigration. The aim of this study was to evaluate the characteristics of the migratory stream that has involved the reception centre of Otranto during 1991-2000. Immigrants' health conditions were also evaluated by consulting the medical reports of those taken to hospital after landing. It emerged that, since 1991, migration along the coastline of Salento involved 69,263 subjects mostly coming from Albania and Kosovo. Immigrants' health conditions generally appeared to be fairly good, considering the limited frequency of hospitalisations (1.1% of immigrants) and the specific categories of hospitalised patients (nearly 30%. were pregnant women and nearly 24% were children). Among the persons examined, no imported diseases were discovered, rather conditions related to the precarious voyage and a high prevalence of HBsAg carriers (12.1%).