The Washington State Department of Health welcomes all new Afghan community members to our great state of Washington. We stand in solidarity and partnership with the community partners working tirelessly to support newly arriving individuals and families. We're committed to identifying all of the ways we can help provide a healthy and safe future for our newest community members.
From 2010 to 2020, Washington welcomed about 30,213 refugees, including 4,166 Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) holders. Over the past two to three years, Washington welcomed about eight percent of the nation's total Afghan SIV arrivals. The highest concentration of Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) holders have arrived in King County, with some people resettling in Pierce, Snohomish, and Spokane counties.
As of mid-September 2021, the U.S. Department of State has approved local refugee resettlement agencies in Washington to welcome 1,679 people out of the initial 37,000 people processed. The federal government anticipates needing to resettle more than 70,000 people through Operation Allies Welcome. Washington is expected to be in the top five states to welcome Afghan arrivals. More information on welcoming Afghans to Washington is available from the DSHS Office of Refugee and Immigrant Assistance, including posters welcoming our Afghan neighbors.
The information below includes fact sheets, Webinars, videos, and other health resources to support new arrivals from Afghanistan.
Fact Sheets and Webinars
- State agencies
- Community resources
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- Afghan Health Initiative https://afghanhealth.org/
- Afghan American Cultural Association https://www.aaca-wa.org
- Diocese of Olympia https://www.dioceserroseattle.org/
- International Rescue Committee https://www.rescue.org/united-states/seattle-wa
- Jewish Family Service https://www.jfsseattle.org/
- Kits For Peace / Essentials First https://www.dshs.wa.gov/esa/csd-office-refugee-and-immigration-assistance/welcoming-afghans-washington-state
- Lutheran Community Services Northwest https://lcsnw.org/
- MAPS – AMEN https://mapsredmond.org/amen/
- MAPS – Muslim Community Resource Center https://mapsredmond.org/mcrc/
- Refugee and Immigrant Services Northwest https://risnw.org/
- Refugee Women's Alliance https://www.rewa.org/
- SCM Medical Missions https://www.scmmedicalmissions.org/
- World Relief Seattle https://worldrelief.org/seattle/
- World Relief Spokane https://worldrelief.org/spokane/
- World Relief Tri-cities https://worldrelief.org/tricities/
- Afghan culture and health
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- Webinar: Afghan Culture and Health Screening Considerations (Center for Excellence in Newcomer Health, including Washington State panelist)
- Webinar: Best Practices for COVID-19 Prevention and Mitigation Among Afghan Communities (NRC-RIM with Washington State panelists)
- Afghan Backgrounder (Cultural Orientation Resource Exchange)
- Behavioral health
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- Webinar: Psychological First Aid (PFA) to Support Clients Affected by the Crisis in Afghanistan (Switchboard)
- Blog: Supporting Clients and Staff Affected by the Crisis in Afghanistan (Switchboard)
- Benefits eligibility
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- Apple Health Eligibility for Individuals from Afghanistan (Washington State Health Care Authority)
- Information regarding federal and state programs available within Washington state to help support new arrivals from Afghanistan (Washington State Department of Social and Health Services Office of Refugee and Immigrant Assistance)
- New arrivals from Afghanistan are eligible for a health screening examination. Please contact the local health screening clinic to schedule an appointment.
- Health outcomes
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- Infographic New Arrival Health Overview – Afghanistan (Center for Excellence in Newcomer Health)
- Federal fact sheets
Health promotion and education resources
- COVID-19
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- Is it COVID-19 or the Flu? English (PDF) | Dari (PDF) | Pashto (PDF)
- Snapshot of Vaccines English (PDF) | Dari (PDF) | Pashto (PDF)
- COVID-19 Vaccine Safety English (PDF) | Dari (PDF) | Pashto (PDF)
- COVID-19 Vaccines: What to Know English (PDF) | Dari (PDF) | Pashto (PDF)
- Common Worries and Facts English (PDF) | Dari (PDF) | Pashto (PDF)
- Getting Vaccinated English (PDF) | Dari (PDF) | Pashto (PDF)
- Is it COVID-19 or a Vaccine Reaction? English (PDF) | Dari (PDF) | Pashto (PDF)
- You've Got Your Vax Card: Now What? English (PDF) | Dari (PDF) | Pashto (PDF)
- Getting Tested for COVID-19 English (PDF) | Dari (PDF) | Farsi (PDF) | Pashto (PDF)
- I tested positive - What will they ask me? English (PDF) | Dari (PDF) | Farsi (PDF) | Pashto (PDF)
- I was in contact with someone who tested positive - What will they ask me? English (PDF) | Dari (PDF) | Farsi (PDF) | Pashto (PDF)
- What to do if you have confirmed or suspected COVID-19 English (PDF) | Farsi (PDF)
- What to do if you were potentially exposed to someone with COVID-19 English (PDF) | Farsi (PDF)
- NRC-RIM Welcome Video Describing Current COVID-19 Situation in US Dari (video) | Pashto (video)
- NRC-RIM COVID-19 Communication Resources for Afghan New Arrivals
- Handwashing
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CDC Wash Your Hands English (PDF) | Dari (PDF) | Pashto (PDF) | Urdu (PDF)
- Lead
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- Does Your Child Need a Lead Test? English (PDF) | Dari (PDF)
- My Child's Lead Test Result English (PDF) | Farsi (PDF)
- Prevent Lead Poisoning English (PDF) | Pashto (PDF)
- Pregnancy and Lead English (PDF) | Dari (PDF)
- Child Lead Poisoning Prevention Dari (video) | Farsi (video)
- Afghan Health Initiative – Lead Prevention Program and videos
- Additional resources: Lead Publications: Washington State Department of Health
- Masking
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- CDC Please Wear a Mask English (PDF) | Dari (PDF) | Pashto (PDF) | Urdu (PDF)
- CDC How to Wear a Mask PSA English (video) | Dari (video) | Pashto (video)
- Measles
- Polio
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- CDC: Report your polio symptoms English, Dari, and Pashto (PDF)
- Tuberculosis
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- Tuberculosis: General Information (CDC) (PDF) | Dari (PDF) | Pashto (PDF)
- Questions & Answers About Tuberculosis Booklet (CDC) (PDF) | Dari (PDF) | Pashto (PDF)
- Requirements, Services & TB Patient Education Materials for New Afghan Arrivals (NTCA) (PDF)
- Cultural Quick Reference Guide for Afghanistan (SNTC) (PDF)
- Tuberculosis Patient Education (SNTC) (PDF) | Dari (PDF) | Pashto (PDF)
- What you Need to Know About Tuberculosis Flipbook (HNTC) (PDF) | Dari (PDF) | Pashto (PDF)
- What you Need to Know about 3HP LTBI Treatment (CDC) (PDF) | Dari (PDF) | Pashto (PDF)
- Vaccine Information Statements (VIS)
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- MMR vaccine English (PDF) | Dari (PDF) | Pashto (PDF)
- Polio vaccine English (PDF) | Dari (PDF) | Pashto (PDF)
- Varicella (chickenpox) vaccine English (PDF) | Dari (PDF) | Pashto (PDF)
- Flu Vaccine (inactivated or recombinant) English (PDF) | Dari (PDF) | Pashto (PDF)
- Varicella (chickenpox)
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- CDC: Report your chickenpox symptoms English (PDF) | Dari (PDF) | Pashto (PDF)