WRAPAROUND HEALTH SUPPORTS FOR NEWCOMERS ARE ESSENTIAL

Tackling TB Stigma, a new comprehensive and community-driven report, shows that taking a wraparound approach to healthcare for newcomers, including hyper-local strategies to deal with stigma around diseases, is the best way to ensure people can address their health issues as soon as possible, and in comprehensive ways.

Tuberculosis (TB) intersects with the stigma related to the disease, including stigma based in people’s countries of origin, and stigma that’s pervasive here in Canada. The report is published by Access Alliance Multicultural Health and Community Services. The community health centre in Toronto serving refugee and other newcomer populations in many areas across Toronto received support from the Public Health Agency of Canada.

“The findings in this report are drawn from the unique experiences of newcomers to Canada, their descriptions and observations of the particular kinds of stigma they’ve faced, and their experiences of what has worked to help them address tuberculosis and other health challenges,” said Cliff Ledwos, Director of Primary Care and Associate Executive Director at Access Alliance. “Coordinated collaboration across health and social sectors that interact with newcomers, to ensure timely and sustained access to wraparound health services, is one of the big keys to ensuring that stigma and other barriers to health and wellbeing are addressed, and people can get the supports they need.”

The pandemic continues to show how disparities and inequities related to access to wraparound health and social supports are key factors that affect if someone will get sick, how sick they get, and if they’ll be able to access the care they need to get well if and when they do. This report points at what needs to be done to ensure people can get access in a timely fashion.

Key findings of the report:

In 2017, populations not born in Canada represented over 70 per cent of reported cases of active tuberculosis. Despite this, newcomers face significant barriers to accessing comprehensive health and social care and support.

Working to address culturally-specific TB-related stigma must be a priority. This requires campaigns that are community-informed, designed and delivered.

Economic precarity and stigma combined can force marginalized populations to prioritize food, housing, employment, as well as settlement and legal issues over their health.

Risks presented by TB are an opportunity to connect people directly to wraparound supports that are needed to address complex issues, including other issues related to mental health and chronic disease management.

TB education, screening, treatment and care works best when centered in interdisciplinary team-based primary care settings, offered in collaboration with Public Health, TB specialists, settlement and social service providers.

• This article is courtesy of Access Alliance Multicultural Health and Community Services.