Examining the Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Iraqi Refugees in Canada.

Autor: Ghadi N; School of Occupational and Public Health, Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, ON M5B 2K3, Canada., Tustin J; School of Occupational and Public Health, Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, ON M5B 2K3, Canada., Young I; School of Occupational and Public Health, Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, ON M5B 2K3, Canada., Sekercioglu N; Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L8, Canada., Abdula S; London Employment Help Centre, London, ON N5Y 1A8, Canada., Sekercioglu F; School of Occupational and Public Health, Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, ON M5B 2K3, Canada.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: International journal of environmental research and public health [Int J Environ Res Public Health] 2024 Mar 20; Vol. 21 (3). Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Mar 20.
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph21030374
Abstrakt: The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated health and social inequities among migrant groups more than others. Higher rates of poverty, unemployment, living in crowded households, and language barriers have placed resettled refugees at a higher risk of facing disparities during the COVID-19 pandemic. To understand how this most vulnerable population has been impacted by the ongoing pandemic, this study reports on the responses of 128 Iraqi refugees in the city of London, Ontario, to a survey on the economic, social, and health-related impacts that they have faced for almost two years since the beginning the pandemic. The analysis of the survey indicated that 90.4% of the study population reported having health concerns during the pandemic while 80.3% expressed facing financial distress. The results also show that 58.4% of respondents experienced some form of social isolation. These all suggest that refugees are faced with several barriers which can have a compounding effect on their resettlement experience. These findings provide resettlement and healthcare providers with some information that may assist in reducing the impact of COVID-19 and other possible health security emergencies on resettled refugees and their communities.
Databáze: MEDLINE