Ceuta on the brink of a public health crisis: doctors warn of infections amid migrant influx

Doctors in the Spanish city of Ceuta are urging authorities to urgently strengthen medical infrastructure amid the large concentration of migrants. Medical professionals warn that overcrowded conditions are contributing to the spread of serious infectious diseases. According to local authorities, around 10,000 migrants are currently in a city with a population of approximately 80,000. Many are living in overcrowded temporary camps and abandoned buildings. The situation was reported by Novinky.cz.

Doctors are calling for the urgent development of a dedicated emergency response plan. They are also urging authorities to establish field hospitals, temporarily reopen a military hospital and bring additional medical specialists and modern medical equipment to Ceuta.

Enrique Roviralta, president of the professional medical association, said: “The aim is not to cause panic, but to take preventive healthcare measures before large-scale outbreaks occur.” The association warns that if an emergency response plan with preventive measures is not activated urgently, a significant increase in infectious diseases could be recorded within 15–30 days.

Disease outbreaks already detected as overcrowding raises health risks

Medical professionals say several types of infections have already been detected:

1. Scabies. Cases have emerged as a result of close contact and inadequate hygiene in overcrowded facilities.
2. Tuberculosis and respiratory diseases. Doctors are particularly concerned about tuberculosis because its latent period can delay detection, while malnutrition, high population density and poor or inadequate ventilation can increase the risk of transmission and reactivation.
3. Dermatological and parasitic infections. These include fungal infections, head lice and other conditions.
4. Gastrointestinal diseases. There is a particularly high risk of outbreaks of salmonellosis, shigellosis, cholera and other fecal-oral infections due to limited access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation.
5. Other health conditions. These include measles and other infections and complications associated with a lack of access to primary medical care.

The Independent Trade Union and Public Employees Association (CSIF) has backed the warnings from the medical community, describing the current situation as critical. The union said that the concentration of people in confined spaces and the lack of adequate sanitation pose a direct threat to public health across the city.

CSIF calls for urgent action

CSIF is calling for several immediate measures:

1. Reduce overcrowding. People should be relocated and redistributed from the areas with the highest concentrations.
2. Improve hygiene. Authorities should intensify cleaning and disinfection of buildings and shared public spaces.
3. Ensure essential supplies and monitoring. Basic hygiene products should be distributed directly, while epidemiological surveillance should be strengthened to ensure early detection of any potential outbreaks.

According to CSIF, stronger epidemiological surveillance is essential to identify and contain potential outbreaks of infectious diseases at an early stage.

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