Healthcare needs and health service utilization by Syrian refugee women in Toronto

Sepali Guruge,Meb Rashid,Souraya Sidani,Huda Bukhari,Suzanne Fredericks,Rania Younes,Jason Altenberg,Vathsala Illesinghe

doi:10.1186/s13031-018-0181-x

Abstract

ObjectiveAccess to healthcare is an important part of the (re)settlement process for Syrian refugees in Canada. There is growing concern about the healthcare needs of the 54,560 Syrian refugees who were admitted to Canada by May 2018, 80% of whom are women and children. We explored the healthcare needs of newcomer Syrian women, their experiences in accessing and using health services, and the factors and conditions that shape whether and how they access and utilize health services in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).MethodThis community-based qualitative descriptive interpretive study was informed by Yang & Hwang (2016) health service utilization framework. Focus group discussions were held with 58 Syrian newcomer women in the GTA. These discussions were conducted in Arabic, audio-recorded with participants’ consent, translated into English and transcribed, and analyzed using thematic analysis.ResultsParticipants’ health concerns included chronic, long-term conditions as well as new and emerging issues. Initial health insurance and coverage were enabling factors to access to services, while language and social disconnection were barriers. Other factors, such as beliefs about naturopathic medicine, settlement in suburban areas with limited public transportation, and lack of linguistically, culturally, and gender-appropriate services negatively affected access to and use of healthcare services.ConclusionResponding to the healthcare needs of Syrian newcomer women in a timely and comprehensive manner requires coordinated, multi-sector initiatives that can address the financial, social, and structural barriers to their access and use of services.

Highlights

As the conflict in Syria continues, the death toll and displacement of people in the country continue to rise
Refugees to Canada may be admitted through the Government-Assisted Refugee (GAR) program, the Privately Sponsored Refugee (PSR) program, or the Blended Visa Office-Referred (BVOR) program
GAR and BVOR refugees are referred by the UNHCR or other referral agencies forsettlement in Canada, while PSRs are named by the respective sponsors, who are groups of Canadian citizens or coalitions [6, 8]

Summary

Introduction

As the conflict in Syria continues, the death toll and displacement of people in the country continue to rise. Refugees to Canada may be admitted through the Government-Assisted Refugee (GAR) program, the Privately Sponsored Refugee (PSR) program, or the Blended Visa Office-Referred (BVOR) program. GAR and BVOR refugees are referred by the UNHCR or other referral agencies for (re)settlement in Canada, while PSRs are named by the respective sponsors, who are groups of Canadian citizens or coalitions (e.g., church-related organizations) [6, 8]. All refugee applications are screened and processed by Canadian visa officers, the referral process and the financial support provided to refugees once in Canada differ across three programs. Upon arrival to Canada, all refugees are provided with financial support for 12 months; the support is given by the federal government in the GAR program, private sponsors in the PSR program, and both parties in the BVOR

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