Community Health Centers and Sentinel Surveillance of Human Trafficking in the United States

Author: Gallo, Michael; Thinyane, Hannah & Teufel, James

Abstract: Human trafficking is increasingly understood as a global public health concern that harms individuals, families, and communities by directly and indirectly causing a multitude of adverse physical and mental health outcomes. Intersecting with a complex range of social determinants of health (eg, income, migration status, social exclusion), human trafficking manifests itself through various forms of commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor. Researchers, policy makers, and survivors have promoted reframing human trafficking, which is traditionally perceived as a law enforcement issue, as a public health issue. The US public health community has broadly responded with high levels of engagement, including delineating research priorities, developing prevention strategies, and advocating for policy changes.

Keywords: sentinel surveillance, human trafficking, community health center, data collection, screening