Evaluating Rural Health Disparities in Colombia: Identifying Barriers and Strategies to Advancing Refugee Health

ABSTRACT: Health disparities within rural communities, notably those affecting migrant and refugee populations, are well-documented. Refugees often grapple with high disease burdens and mortality rates due to limited access to primary healthcare and their vulnerable socio-economic and political situ...

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Autores:: Polanco López de Mesa, Ysabel
Díaz, John
Taboada, Isabel
Abreu, Adriana
Vargas, Lara
Zorrilla, Alex
Beatty, Norman

Tipo de recurso:: Article of investigation

Fecha de publicación:: 2023

Institución:: Universidad de Antioquia

Repositorio:: Repositorio UdeA

Idioma:: eng

Description
Summary:	ABSTRACT: Health disparities within rural communities, notably those affecting migrant and refugee populations, are well-documented. Refugees often grapple with high disease burdens and mortality rates due to limited access to primary healthcare and their vulnerable socio-economic and political situations. This issue is particularly acute in the rural areas around Medellin, Colombia, where the refugee influx exacerbates the existing public health challenges. Studies highlight a substantial gap between community needs and public health policies, resulting in inadequate healthcare access. Our study, utilizing the Delphi technique, aimed to identify common barriers and strategies to enhance rural healthcare for refugees. Through consensus-building with community leaders, we identified six primary barriers to healthcare access and five barriers to healthcare quality. Community leaders endorsed five strategies to address the access barriers and eight strategies to improve healthcare quality. This research provides valuable insights for optimizing resource allocation and designing effective support programs for these vulnerable populations.

Evaluating Rural Health Disparities in Colombia: Identifying Barriers and Strategies to Advancing Refugee Health

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