Barriers to healthcare access for refugees in Greece

Joseph, Liz; Ismail, Sharif; Prior, Deborah; Gunst, Meghan; Jarman, Kate; Harris, Matthew; Abbara, Aula

doi:10.1093/eurpub/cky214.285

Cited by 6 publications

(5 citation statements)

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“…The pre-existing health challenges of refugees are welldocumented in the medical literature both from a physical and mental health perspective (Goodman, 2004;Fazel et al, 2005;Porter and Haslam, 2005;Davidson et al, 2008;van der Velde et al, 2009;World Health Organization, 2019;Joseph et al, 2020;Assefa et al, 2021;UNHCR, 2021a). In the immediate aftermath of the crisis and in refugee camps, preventable diseases such as measles, diarrheal diseases, respiratory infections, malnutrition and malaria can prove fatal for refugees surviving without basic health capacities such as clean drinking water, adequate food and safe shelter.…”

Section: Resettlement (mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Scholars such as Chen and Hulsbrink (2019) and Hess et al (2019), highlight the cost of the ESS mandate in the United States to already vulnerable refugee health, by acting as a structural barrier to genuine self-sufficiency and socioeconomic mobility. Medical researchers, international refugee and health aid agencies such as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the World Health Organization have extensively documented the poor physical and mental health outcomes refugees face in refugee camps and their health needs and practices in resettlement contexts (Goodman, 2004;Fazel et al, 2005;Porter and Haslam, 2005;van der Velde et al, 2009;Murray et al, 2010;World Health Organization, 2019;Joseph et al, 2020;Assefa et al, 2021;UNHCR, 2021b), highlighting the specific health challenges that federal overseers and resettlement agencies need to be cognizant of within the resettlement process.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Economic self-sufficiency (ESS) as a barrier to health self-sufficiency (HSS) for Burmese refugees in the United States: a culture-centered analysis

Kumar

2024

Front. Commun.

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From displacement to resettlement, Burmese refugees bear high disease burdens; first as forced migrants escaping conflict and then as second-class citizens in host countries like the United States. This relegation of refugee bodies to the margins upon resettlement, warrants an examination of the contradictions of the process as a humanitarian enterprise yet in violation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 10 of Reduced Inequalities, particularly through a health inequities lens. In the present study, the researcher conducted 15 semi-structured in-depth interviews with key stakeholders within the resettlement ecosystem of the city of Indianapolis, Indiana in the U.S., including Burmese community members, leaders, and health practitioners. Narrative data reveal an inverse relationship between the federally mandated metric of economic self-sufficiency (ESS) defined as job placement upon resettlement, and health self-sufficiency (HSS) defined as the ability to meaningfully engage with healthcare structures and resources. Participants articulate the precarious nature of such low-wage employment in predatory industries like meatpacking, requiring little to no language or vocational training and subjecting refugee employees to coercive practices including mandatory overtime. These practices are outlined as both dangerous to the health of employees and detracting from their time resources which would otherwise be allocated toward linguistic and vocational training—both required for socioeconomic mobility, as well as to meaningfully navigate labyrinthian healthcare structures. Faced with these structural constraints, Burmese community members demonstrate health self-sufficiency through a combination of treatment with over-the-counter (OTC) medications, traditional healing practices, and by activating familial and community networks as communal resources for accessing healthcare structures.

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Section: Resettlement (mentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Economic self-sufficiency (ESS) as a barrier to health self-sufficiency (HSS) for Burmese refugees in the United States: a culture-centered analysis

Kumar

2024

Front. Commun.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…[13] Weak coordination mechanisms contribute to gaps in services particularly for vaccinations, dental, mental health and psychosocial services (MHPSS), and maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH). [5,11,14] While some prevalent conditions are similar to those of the host population, e.g. non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and MNCH, fragmented populations with different cultural and linguistic backgrounds provide unique healthcare challenges.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…[10] Delivering a timely service with adequate follow-up and support to vulnerable groups was challenging for humanitarian organizations. [11,14,15] Changes to funding streams and policies [16] led to closure of projects across Greece due to high operational costs and reduced direct funding. Government representatives formed agreements with humanitarian organizations to provide PHC, while referrals into the Greek health system for secondary care were developed in an often ad hoc manner.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A retrospective review of specialist referrals for refugees into Greece’s health system: A humanitarian organization’s perspective

et al. 2021

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Aim: Refugee arrivals to Europe have numbered more than one million since 2015 with the majority arriving through Greece. The healthcare needs of refugees have placed strains on Greece’s healthcare system which has already been affected by its ongoing economic crisis. At the peak of arrivals during 2016, primary healthcare was primarily provided by humanitarian organizations with specialist referrals into the Greek healthcare system. There is little published literature on the type and impacts of specialist referrals for refugees in Greece. The aim of this retrospective review is to identify the type and impacts of specialist referrals for refugees into Greece’s health system. Methods: This retrospective study reviewed the number and type of specialty referrals from one humanitarian organization providing primary healthcare for refugees in Greece. All consultations during an 8-month period (December 1, 2016–July 31, 2017) were reviewed. Results: Of 4168 consultations, 42% were patients aged 17 years or younger, 52% were male, and 90% were Syrian. Two hundred and thirty-three patients (11%) required a specialist referral; 25% were for dental (provided by another humanitarian organization), 10% each for obstetrics and gynecology and pediatrics, and 8% for ophthalmology. Respiratory complaints were most frequently seen, and these were more predominant in the winter months. Pediatric consultations varied according to month, likely due to population movements. Conclusion: Dentistry was noted to be a gap in humanitarian response programming and accounted for the greatest need for specialist input with referrals for women and children accounting for a large proportion of referrals.

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Gender-Based Violence as a Continuum in the Lives of Women Seeking Asylum: From Resistance to Patriarchy to Patterns of Institutional Violence in France

Sahraoui

Freedman

2022

Gender-Based Violence in Migration

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Barriers to healthcare access for refugees in Greece

Cited by 6 publications

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Economic self-sufficiency (ESS) as a barrier to health self-sufficiency (HSS) for Burmese refugees in the United States: a culture-centered analysis

Economic self-sufficiency (ESS) as a barrier to health self-sufficiency (HSS) for Burmese refugees in the United States: a culture-centered analysis

A retrospective review of specialist referrals for refugees into Greece’s health system: A humanitarian organization’s perspective

Gender-Based Violence as a Continuum in the Lives of Women Seeking Asylum: From Resistance to Patriarchy to Patterns of Institutional Violence in France

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