A Qualitative Research Study Which Explores Humanitarian Stakeholders' Views on Healthcare Access for Refugees in Greece.

Liz Joseph,Meghan Gunst,Aula Abbara,Dina Prior,Matthew Harris,Sharif A Ismail,Kate Jarman

doi:10.3390/ijerph17196972

Abstract

Introduction: As of January 2020, 115,600 refugees remain in Greece; most are Afghani, Iraqi or Syrian nationals. This qualitative research study explores the views of key stakeholders providing healthcare for refugees in Greece between 2015 and 2018. The focus was on identifying key barriers and facilitators to healthcare access for refugees in Greece. Methods: 16 interviewees from humanitarian and international organisations operating in Greece were identified through purposive and snowball sampling. Semi-structured interviews were conducted between March and April 2018. Data were analysed using the Framework Method. Results: Key themes affecting healthcare access included the influence of socio-cultural factors (healthcare expectations, language, gender) and the ability of the Greek health system to respond to existing and evolving demands; these included Greece’s ongoing economic crisis, human resource shortages, weak primary healthcare system, legal barriers and logistics. The evolution of the humanitarian response from emergency to sustained changes to EU funding, coordination and comprehensiveness of services affected healthcare access for refugees. Conclusion: The most noted barriers cited by humanitarian stakeholders to healthcare access for refugees in Greece were socio-cultural and language differences between refugees and healthcare providers and poor coordination among stakeholders. Policies and interventions which address these could improve healthcare access for refugees in Greece with coordination led by the EU.

Highlights

As of January 2020, 115,600 refugees remain in Greece; most are Afghani, Iraqi or Syrian nationals
As of January 2020, there are 115,600 refugees and migrants in Greece (41,200 of whom are on the Greek islands) [1] with the most common nationalities being Syrian, Afghan and Iraqi
Purposive sampling was used to identify key informants (KIs) who worked on the healthcare response in Greece including local and international NGOs and international organisations (e.g., UNHCR, WHO, UNICEF) in Greece, drawing on the authors’ personal contacts

Summary

Introduction

As of January 2020, 115,600 refugees remain in Greece; most are Afghani, Iraqi or Syrian nationals. This qualitative research study explores the views of key stakeholders providing healthcare for refugees in Greece between 2015 and 2018. The focus was on identifying key barriers and facilitators to healthcare access for refugees in Greece. As of January 2020, there are 115,600 refugees and migrants in Greece (41,200 of whom are on the Greek islands) [1] with the most common nationalities being Syrian, Afghan and Iraqi. In its ninth year, the Syrian conflict has been one of the most important drivers of refugee arrivals to Greece. More than half of the country’s 22 million strong pre-war population has been displaced, mostly as internally displaced persons.

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