Conflict and Health
Volume 9, Issue 1, 2015

Access to healthcare for the most vulnerable migrants: A humanitarian crisis (Article) (Open Access)

Pottie K.* , Martin J.P. , Cornish S. , Biorklund L.M. , Gayton I. , Doerner F. , Schneider F.
  • a Departments of Family Medicine and Epidemiology and Community Medicine, Scientist, Ottawa Primary Care Research Group, University of Ottawa, 75 Bruyere St, Ottawa, ON K1S 0P6, Canada
  • b Medecins Sans Frontieres, Buenos Aires, Argentina
  • c MSF Canada, 720 Spadina Avenue, Toronto, ON M5S 2 T9, Canada
  • d Humanitarian Affairs, MSF OCA, Postbus 10014, EA Amsterdam, Netherlands
  • e MSF United Kingdom, 67-74 Saffron Hill, London, EC1N 8Q, United Kingdom
  • f MSF Germany Bank für Sozialwirtschaft Konto, Poland, 97 0 97, Germany
  • g MSF Canada, 720 Spadina Avenue, Toronto, ON M5S 2 T9, Canada

Abstract

A series of Médecins Sans Frontières projects for irregular migrants over the past decade have consistently documented high rates of 14 physical and sexual trauma, extortion and mental illness amidst severe healthcare, food, and housing limitations. Complex interventions were needed to begin to address illness and barriers to healthcare and to help restore dignity to the most vulnerable women, children and men. Promising interventions included mobile clinics, use of cultural mediators, coordination with migrant-friendly entities and NGOs and integrating advocacy programs and mental health care with medical services. Ongoing interventions, research and coordination are needed to address this neglected humanitarian crisis. © 2015 Pottie et al.; licensee BioMed Central.

Author Keywords

Asylum seekers Humanitarian crises Undocumented migrants Refugees Access to care

Index Keywords

[No Keywords available]
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84929300224&doi=10.1186%2fs13031-015-0043-8&partnerID=40&md5=bae08fe430de5f5a14ba6a3b869212a9
DOI: 10.1186/s13031-015-0043-8
ISSN: 17521505
Cited by: 13
Original Language: English