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Hacia un cuidado ético en residencias sanitarias durante la pandemia de COVID-19: estudio cualitativo con migrantes internacionales en Chile

2022 , CABIESES VALDES, BALTICA BEATRIZ , OBACH KING, ALEXANDRA ALICE , Alice Blukacz , CARREÑO CALDERON, ALEJANDRA ANGELICA , Daniel Larenas , Emmanuel Mompoint , BECA INFANTE, JUAN PABLO

Migrantes internacionales han sido reconocidos como población de riesgo en el contexto de la pandemia de COVID-19. A nivel mundial se han desplegado diversas estrategias para la protección de esta población, como la habilitación de centros de recepción y cuarentena o aislamiento. El artículo da cuenta de los resultados de un estudio que exploró las experiencias de migrantes internacionales en residencias sanitarias dispuestas en Chile para la realización de cuarentenas seguras en el marco de la pandemia COVID-19, desde un enfoque de condiciones éticas para el cuidado. Se realizó un estudio cualitativo entre los años 2020-2021. Se efectuaron 30 entrevistas individuales semi-estructuradas en línea en las ciudades de Arica, Iquique, Antofagasta y Santiago a migrantes internacionales con experiencia de uso de residencias sanitarias; equipos de salud de residencias sanitarias; mánagers de dichos recintos; autoridades locales; y expertos nacionales. Se realizó análisis temático de la información. El estudio concluye que para migrantes internacionales, si bien la experiencia en residencias sanitarias ha significado un apoyo sanitario significativo, es imprescindible que el cuidado proporcionado, además de la exigencia que se enmarque en un enfoque de derechos y de respeto a la dignidad de cada persona, incorpore la perspectiva de la interculturalidad en su quehacer, es decir, asegurando el derecho a servicios de salud culturalmente pertinentes, respetuosos de la cultura de las personas, las minorías, los pueblos y las comunidades.

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Recursos y vulnerabilidades de comunidades migrantes en Chile para enfrentar la pandemia SARS-CoV-2

2022 , CABIESES VALDES, BALTICA BEATRIZ , OBACH KING, ALEXANDRA ALICE , Alice Blukacz , CARREÑO CALDERON, ALEJANDRA ANGELICA , PEREZ ACUÑA, CLAUDIA VERONICA , José Tomás Vicuña , Carolina Stefoni , Andrea Avaria

Objetivo Conocer, en contexto de la pandemia por SARS-CoV-2, las vulnerabilidades psicosociales y socioeconómicas de la población migrante internacional en Chile y los recursos y capitales sociales reportados desde la propia comunidad. Métodos Estudio cualitativo descriptivo. Se realizaron 40 entrevistas semiestructuradas a migrantes (N=30) e informantes claves (N=10), ejecutadas virtualmente durante el 2020. El material fue analizado mediante análisis temático. El proyecto fue aprobado por el Comitè de Ètica Científico de la Facultad de Medicina de la Universidad del Desarrollo. Resultados Como principales vulnerabilidades enfrentadas por parte de personas migrantes en pandemia se identifican: hacinamiento, precariedad laboral y necesidades económicas, uso del transporte público, desinformación y creencias en torno al COVID-19, discriminación, falta de redes de apoyo, y estatus migratorio. Como recursos se reconocen: contar con redes de apoyo, posibilidad de teletrabajo o salir a trabajar, acceso a información y a la red asistencial y municipal, apoyo gubernamental y de la sociedad civil. Adicionalmente, se reportan experiencias de diagnóstico de COVID-19, identificando dificultades en acceso a PCR y adaptaciones familiares y laborales como cambios en los hábitos de vida dentro y fuera del hogar. Discusión El estudio entrega información relevante e inédita para la construcción de políticas en salud para migrantes internacionales con foco en crisis sanitarias. Se destaca la necesidad de fortalecer adecuaciones interculturales en las estrategias de prevención del contagio y de promoción de la salud y aumentar la disponibilidad de respuesta en el acceso a salud en el marco de la pandemia, mitigando así la vulnerabilidad social en migrantes y potenciando sus recursos de afrontamiento.

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Barriers and facilitators to access sexual and reproductive health services among young migrants in Tarapacá, Chile: a qualitative study

2024 , OBACH KING, ALEXANDRA ALICE , Alice Blukacz , Michelle Sadler , CARREÑO CALDERON, ALEJANDRA ANGELICA , CABIESES VALDES, BALTICA BEATRIZ , Carolina Díaz

Abstract Background Chile has become a destination country for immigrants from Latin America, including youth. Guaranteeing access and use of sexual and reproductive health services for young migrants is crucial because of their overlapping experiences of transitioning to a new country and to adulthood. However, the existing evidence shows barriers to accessing sexual and reproductive healthcare among young migrant populations. In this context, the main objective of this article is to identify the barriers and facilitators that young migrants experience to access sexual and reproductive healthcare in the Tarapacá region of Chile. Methods A qualitative study was conducted in the Tarapacá region of Chile. Semi-structured interviews with 25 young migrants from Venezuela, Colombia, and Ecuador, as well as 10 health workers, were carried out. The interviews were transcribed and thematically analysed. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Universidad del Desarrollo (#2019-22). Results Young migrants face barriers linked to structural shortcomings within the healthcare system, which may be similar to those faced by the local population. Barriers are also derived from reductionist sexual and reproductive health approaches, which prioritise the prevention of pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections, and HIV, with a predominantly heteronormative focus. The prevailing narratives from the health system are those of risk and lack of control and self-care among young people, and they are exacerbated in the case of migrants. Young migrants, especially from the Caribbean, are stereotyped as over-sexualised and liberal in comparison to the local population and believed to be engaging in riskier sexual behaviours that should be kept under check. This may translate into experiences of discrimination and mistreatment when receiving care. Facilitators include good-quality information and community-level interventions. Conclusions This study shows a limited approach to the sexual and reproductive health of young migrants in Chile, severely hampering their reproductive and sexual rights. Policies and initiatives must work towards removing structural barriers, changing narratives, and empowering young migrants regarding their sexual and reproductive health.

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“Nadie está preparado para escuchar lo que vi”: atención de salud mental de refugiados y solicitantes de asilo en Chile

2020 , CARREÑO CALDERON, ALEJANDRA ANGELICA , Alice Blukacz , Diego Jazanovich , CABIESES VALDES, BALTICA BEATRIZ

El presente artículo analiza las necesidades de atención de salud mental de refugiados y solicitantes de asilo de origen latinoamericano en Chile, por medio de un estudio cualitativo descriptivo, realizado en 2018, desde la voz de las personas solicitantes de refugio y asilo (n=8), profesionales de salud que los atienden (n=4), y miembros de organismos e instituciones dedicados en la temática (n=2). Los hallazgos evidencian que las obligaciones asumidas por Chile, a través de la adhesión a tratados internacionales, no han logrado garantizar el ejercicio del derecho a la salud mental, entendida como parte del derecho universal de acceso a la salud. En lo particular, el artículo documenta la presencia tanto de barreras de acceso a la salud mental en migrantes solicitantes de refugio y asilo, como de factores de estrés posmigratorios que pueden acentuar el riesgo de estos grupos a sufrir trastornos emotivos. También se reporta la insuficiente instalación de capacidades de atención en los equipos de salud mental para abordar las consecuencias psíquicas de los episodios de violencia y persecución que están a la base de la migración forzada. Finalmente, el artículo discute la necesidad de estrechar la vinculación entre la salud mental –como derecho humano fundamental– y el derecho a la protección internacional.

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Emergency preparedness and response sensitive of migrant populations in Chile: post-pandemic perspectives

2024 , Alice Blukacz , CABIESES VALDES, BALTICA BEATRIZ , OBACH KING, ALEXANDRA ALICE , CARREÑO CALDERON, ALEJANDRA ANGELICA , Edward Mezones-Holguín

On August 31, 2023, the Chilean government ended the health alert for COVID-19. This milestone invites us to reflect on lessons learned in emergency preparedness and response regarding migrant populations in the country. In this context, three perspectives are presented. The first focuses on avoiding pointing to individual responsibility for non-compliance with prevention measures, as this approach ignores structural and historical inequities. Emergency recommendations should be constructed considering a collective approach and diverse sociocultural and political contexts. The second perspective calls for considering and addressing migration as a social determinant of health. During the pandemic, changes in the governance of migration around the world made migration processes more precarious, with risks to the physical and mental health of migrants, which needs better planning and evidence-based decision-making in future pandemics. The third perspective focuses on promoting intercultural health, as effective communication of contagion risks and preventive measures were hampered among migrant populations with diverse worldviews and interpretations of health and disease processes. Responding to the needs of historically marginalized communities requires establishing ways of life that respect diversity in narratives and everyday practices. Governments and health systems must incorporate migration into their emergency preparedness and response strategies, creating the conditions for optimal compliance.

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Promoting the Participation of “Hard-to-Reach” Migrant Populations in Qualitative Public Health Research during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Chile

2023 , Alice Blukacz , CABIESES VALDES, BALTICA BEATRIZ , OBACH KING, ALEXANDRA ALICE , María Inés Álvarez , Paula Madrid , CARREÑO CALDERON, ALEJANDRA ANGELICA , Isabel Rada

The COVID-19 pandemic has further deepened socioeconomic and health inequities worldwide, especially among populations experiencing social vulnerability, such as international migrants. Sustained lockdowns and social distancing have raised challenges to conducting public health research with hard-to-reach populations. This study aims at exploring strategies to recruit “hard-to-reach” international migrants for qualitative public health research during the pandemic in Chile, based on the authors’ experience. A retrospective qualitative evaluation process was carried out on the recruitment processes of three qualitative research projects focused on international migrants in Chile. All projects were implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic, demanding complementary and flexible strategies: (i) social media; (ii) snowball sampling; (iii) referrals from social workers and pro-migrant and migrant-led organizations; (iv) vaccination centers and healthcare centers; and (v) community-based recruitment. The strategies are qualitatively evaluated around seven emerging qualitative categories: (i) feasibility during lockdown periods; (ii) speed of recruitment; (iii) geographical coverage; (iv) sample diversity; (v) proportion of successful interviews; (vi) ethical considerations; and (vii) cost. Engaging hard-to-reach international migrants in public health research during the pandemic required constantly adapting recruitment strategies. Furthermore, relying on strategies that were not only Internet-based promoted the participation of populations with limited access to the Internet and low-digital literacy.

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Health conditions of migrant children and adolescents from Latin America and Caribe: A narrative review

2024 , CARREÑO CALDERON, ALEJANDRA ANGELICA , Alice Blukacz , CABIESES VALDES, BALTICA BEATRIZ , OBACH KING, ALEXANDRA ALICE , Andrea Ortega

The presence of children and adolescents in migratory flows is growing in Latin America and the Caribbean. Little is known about migration's effects on these groups' health. This article aims to investigate the evidence available on the access and use of healthcare services by migrant children and adolescents in Latin America and the Caribbean. We seek to explore the role of social determinants of health at different levels in the health conditions of these groups. Also, to identify potential recommendations for healthcare systems and public policy to address them. For this purpose, a narrative review of 52 publications was carried out based on a search of scientific literature in the Web of Science and Google Scholar databases. Five relevant topics were identified: use of emergency care associated with lack of healthcare access, preventive services, and other social determinants of health; exposure to preventable infectious diseases; mental health; sexual and reproductive health; and vaccinations and dental health. We conclude that the evidence shows the need to address the inequities and disadvantages faced by migrant children from a perspective of social determinants of health and policies that consider health as a human right regardless of the migratory status of children and adolescents, as well as that of their parents or primary caregivers.

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“If I get sick here, I will never see my children again”: The mental health of international migrants during the COVID-19 pandemic in Chile

2022 , Alice Blukacz , CABIESES VALDES, BALTICA BEATRIZ , Kate E. Pickett , OBACH KING, ALEXANDRA ALICE , Paula Madrid , CARREÑO CALDERON, ALEJANDRA ANGELICA , MARKKULA NIINA, KATARIINA , Cesar Infante Xibille

Background The COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact on the mental health of international migrants globally. Chile has managed its response to the pandemic in an ongoing context of social unrest and combined regional migratory and humanitarian crisis. The country’s population presents a high prevalence of common mental disorders and a high suicide rate, with limited access to mental healthcare. International migrants in Chile represent 8% of the total population, and although a socioeconomically heterogenous group, they face social vulnerability, a range of mental health stressors and additional barriers to access mental healthcare. This study describes the mental health outcomes, stressors, response, and coping strategies perceived by international migrants during the COVID-19 pandemic in Chile. Methods and findings A qualitative case study was carried out through individual online interviews to 30 international migrants living in Chile during the pandemic and 10 experts of the social and health care sectors. An inductive content analysis was carried out, a process during which the researchers sought to identify patterns and themes derived from the data. Participants experienced mainly negative mental health outcomes, including anxiety and depression symptomatology. Stressors included the virus itself, work, living and socioeconomic conditions, discrimination, fear for their family and distance caring. Institutional responses to address the mental health of international migrants during the pandemic in Chile were limited and participants relied mainly on individual coping strategies. Conclusions The pandemic can represent an important opportunity to strengthen mental health systems for the general population as well as for population groups experiencing social vulnerability, if the issues identified and the lessons learned are translated into action at national, regional, and international level. Promoting the mental health of international migrants means recognising migration as a social determinant of mental health and adopting a cross-cultural as well as a Human Rights approach.

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Perceptions of Health Needs among Venezuelan Women Crossing the Border in Northern Chile during the COVID-19 Pandemic

2022 , Alice Blukacz , CARREÑO CALDERON, ALEJANDRA ANGELICA , OBACH KING, ALEXANDRA ALICE , CABIESES VALDES, BALTICA BEATRIZ , Jeniffer Peroncini , Alejandra Oliva

In parallel to the COVID-19 pandemic, Chile has experienced a significant influx of international migrants, many of whom are Venezuelan women who have entered the country through unauthorized crossing points. In this context, gender and migration intersect as the social determinants of health, leading to their experiencing a range of adverse events. This poses important challenges in terms of short- and long-term health outcomes, the social determinants of health, and access to healthcare. This study aims at describing Venezuelan women’s perceptions of their health needs as they migrate to Chile via an unauthorized crossing point, with a focus on adverse events throughout the migration cycle, self-reported health needs, and responses. A qualitative case study was carried out with 22 participants in the Antofagasta region of Chile, including Venezuelan migrant women, healthcare professionals, and social workers from the public healthcare system, stakeholders from non-governmental and international organizations, and local government officials. The semi-structured, individual interviews were analyzed thematically. The results show that Venezuelan women face a range of adverse events throughout the migration cycle. The perceived health needs that are reported are sometimes linked to these adverse events or existed prior to migration and were exacerbated throughout the migratory cycle. Addressing these physical and mental health needs is essential for short- and long-term individual and public health; however, despite substantial efforts to ameliorate the situation, persisting gaps in access to care are reported.

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Acceso a salud de migrantes internacionales en pandemia en Chile: resultados de encuesta cuantitativa

2023 , CABIESES VALDES, BALTICA BEATRIZ , Marcela Oyarte , Maria Ines Alvarez , Alice Blukacz , OBACH KING, ALEXANDRA ALICE , CARREÑO CALDERON, ALEJANDRA ANGELICA , Edward Mezones , Claudio Osses

El objetivo del estudio fue analizar barreras de acceso a la atención de salud en Chile reportadas por migrantes internacionales residentes en la región metropolitana del país y factores asociados. Para ello, se aplicó una encuesta en formato digital sobre vulnerabilidades y recursos de comunidades migrantes en Chile para enfrentar la pandemia SARS-CoV-2. Se realizó análisis descriptivo y estratificado por variables demográficas, socioeconómicas, tipo de previsión de salud y estatus migratorio. Como resultados, inmigrantes provenientes de Haití reportaron el mayor porcentaje de barreras de acceso a la atención en salud, esto tras ajustar por variables sociodemográficas y estatus migratorio.