Issue: Migration flows are increasing and involve a wide range of populations, such as workers, refugees, students, undocumented migrants and others, each with different health determinants, needs and levels of vulnerability. Among these, there are HIV/AIDS infection and other sexually transmitted disease (STDs): traditional approaches are insufficient to address these complex challenges. In Italy, 30% of new HIV infections occurr in foreign people. Major concern is the limited access to health services and less information about transmission of HIV and other STDs. In Ferrara, the majority of refugees and asylum seekers are young men in the sexually active stage of their lives. Our aim is to improve HIV/AIDS-related knowledge within migrants, refugees and asylum seekers, to favour access to public health service and HIV/STDs test. Description of the problem: A collaboration was established between 2 public services in Ferrara area: HIV/AIDS outpatient unit of S.Anna Hospital and CAmelot association that provides assistance for refugees and coordinates a public information point for migrants. Major problems were identified: accessibility of health service, preventive care, health education, linguistic and cultural barriers. On this basis, a collaborative project was proposed and included training courses on HIV/AIDS and STDs for healthcare workers and cultural mediators, recruitment of staff for migrant’s health education, encourage and offer screening for HIV and STDs. Results: The project started in may 2013: an interdisciplinary staff was identified (infectious disease health workers, cultural mediators, experts in international migration human rights). The staff had meetings with migrants in order to give informations about health system, migrants rights, HIV/AIDS and STDs prevention; each meeting was 1.30 hour long. -246/388 (63,4%) migrants accepted to participate in the project: they were male, age 20-28, 88% from Africa (Nigeria, Senegal, Mali), 12% from Pakistan. -2/246 (0,8%) were found HIV +. This confirm that most of migrants acquires HIV infection in the new country. -32/246 (13%) were HBsAg +: new tests have been performed in order to better define their clinical status. -56/246 (22,7%) were anti-HBs positive and thus protected, 158/246 (64,2%) migrants were negative for HBV infection and sent to the vaccination centre in order to prevent possible new infections do the potential promiscuity with people with HBV active disease. Lessons: The health of migrants is a major concern for host countries. We need programs to reduce barriers to health services and to offer information about HIV/STDs transmission. Migrants agree with this form of information, in particular they appreciate the presence of cultural mediators to explain health service opportunities, HIV/STDs prevention and transmission. This confirms the need to improve the project and the possibility to extend these initiatives to other health problems. Message: Migration flows are increasing and involve a wide range of populations. The project aim is to improve HIV/AIDS-related knowledge within migrants, refugees and asylum seekers, to favour access to public health service and HIV/STDs test
Health education and HIV test offer in a population of refugees and asylum seekers: an experience in Ferrara area.
SEGALA, Daniela;CONTINI, Carlo;
2016
Abstract
Issue: Migration flows are increasing and involve a wide range of populations, such as workers, refugees, students, undocumented migrants and others, each with different health determinants, needs and levels of vulnerability. Among these, there are HIV/AIDS infection and other sexually transmitted disease (STDs): traditional approaches are insufficient to address these complex challenges. In Italy, 30% of new HIV infections occurr in foreign people. Major concern is the limited access to health services and less information about transmission of HIV and other STDs. In Ferrara, the majority of refugees and asylum seekers are young men in the sexually active stage of their lives. Our aim is to improve HIV/AIDS-related knowledge within migrants, refugees and asylum seekers, to favour access to public health service and HIV/STDs test. Description of the problem: A collaboration was established between 2 public services in Ferrara area: HIV/AIDS outpatient unit of S.Anna Hospital and CAmelot association that provides assistance for refugees and coordinates a public information point for migrants. Major problems were identified: accessibility of health service, preventive care, health education, linguistic and cultural barriers. On this basis, a collaborative project was proposed and included training courses on HIV/AIDS and STDs for healthcare workers and cultural mediators, recruitment of staff for migrant’s health education, encourage and offer screening for HIV and STDs. Results: The project started in may 2013: an interdisciplinary staff was identified (infectious disease health workers, cultural mediators, experts in international migration human rights). The staff had meetings with migrants in order to give informations about health system, migrants rights, HIV/AIDS and STDs prevention; each meeting was 1.30 hour long. -246/388 (63,4%) migrants accepted to participate in the project: they were male, age 20-28, 88% from Africa (Nigeria, Senegal, Mali), 12% from Pakistan. -2/246 (0,8%) were found HIV +. This confirm that most of migrants acquires HIV infection in the new country. -32/246 (13%) were HBsAg +: new tests have been performed in order to better define their clinical status. -56/246 (22,7%) were anti-HBs positive and thus protected, 158/246 (64,2%) migrants were negative for HBV infection and sent to the vaccination centre in order to prevent possible new infections do the potential promiscuity with people with HBV active disease. Lessons: The health of migrants is a major concern for host countries. We need programs to reduce barriers to health services and to offer information about HIV/STDs transmission. Migrants agree with this form of information, in particular they appreciate the presence of cultural mediators to explain health service opportunities, HIV/STDs prevention and transmission. This confirms the need to improve the project and the possibility to extend these initiatives to other health problems. Message: Migration flows are increasing and involve a wide range of populations. The project aim is to improve HIV/AIDS-related knowledge within migrants, refugees and asylum seekers, to favour access to public health service and HIV/STDs testI documenti in SFERA sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
