Racism, healthcare access and health equity for people seeking asylum

Abstract

People seeking asylum are at risk of receiving poorer quality healthcare due, in part, to racist and discriminatory attitudes, behaviours and policies in the health system. Despite fleeing war and conflict; exposure to torture and traumatic events and living with uncertainty; people seeking asylum are at high‐risk of experiencing long‐term poor physical and mental health outcomes in their host country. This article aims to raise awareness and bring attention to some common issues people seeking asylum face when seeking healthcare in high‐income countries where the health system is dominated by a Western biomedical view of health. Clinical case scenarios are used to highlight instances of racist healthcare policies and practices that create and maintain ongoing health disparities; limited access to culturally and linguistically appropriate health services, and lack of trauma‐informed approaches to care. Nurses and midwives can play an important role in countering racism in healthcare settings; by identifying and calling out discriminatory practice and modelling tolerance, respect and empathy in daily practice. We present recommendations for individuals, organisations and governments that can inform changes to policies and practices that will reduce racism and improve health equity for people seeking asylum.

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“…45,46 Where family support exists, issues with responding to childhood illness, managing the hospital system, and navigating society appear to be mitigated. Similar results within the context of chronic illness and health care access have been discussed; 47,48 however, the challenges for single unit families, such as those that emerged in this study have not previously been explored. This study presents new knowledge, not only for managing acute care, but also for Indigenous…”

Looking through racism in the nurse–patient relationship from the lens of culturally congruent care: A scoping review

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The need for inclusion of integrated teaching on refugee and asylum seeker health in undergraduate medical curriculum

“…Hence, to provide better health outcomes to migrant populations, it is important to train future healthcare professionals to identify refugee health needs and treat them efficiently. Some of the recognized healthcare needs for refugees and asylum seekers necessitate trauma-informed care, cultural competency, empathy, and advocacy (Suurmond et al, 2010;Willey et al, 2022). Trauma has undoubtedly affected the majority of refugees and asylum seekers.…”

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