TY - JOUR
T1 - The impact of COVID-19 on Venezuelan migrants’ access to health
T2 - A qualitative study in Colombian and Peruvian cities
AU - Zambrano-Barragán, Patricio
AU - Ramírez Hernández, Sebastián
AU - Freier, Luisa Feline
AU - Luzes, Marta
AU - Sobczyk, Rita
AU - Rodríguez, Alexander
AU - Beach, Charles
N1 - © 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020
PY - 2021/1
Y1 - 2021/1
N2 - This research seeks to understand how COVID-19 has affected access to healthcare among migrants in Latin American cities. Using ethnographic research methods, we engaged with Venezuelans living in conditions of informality in four Colombian cities—Barranquilla, Cucuta, Riohacha, and Soacha—and three Peruvian cities—Lima, Trujillo, and Tumbes. We conducted 130 interviews of both Venezuelan migrants and state and non-governmental actors within the healthcare ecosystems of these cities. We found that forced migrants from Venezuela in both Colombia and Peru face common obstacles along their access trajectories to healthcare, which we summarize as legal, financial, and relating to discrimination and information asymmetry. By limiting effective access to care during the pandemic, these obstacles have also affected migrants’ ability to cover the costs of basic needs, particularly food and housing. Our study also found a prevalent reliance on alternative forms of care, such as telemedicine, easy-to-access pharmacies, and extralegal care networks. We conclude that COVID-19 has exacerbated preexisting conditions of informality and health inequities affecting Venezuelan migrants in Colombia and Peru.
AB - This research seeks to understand how COVID-19 has affected access to healthcare among migrants in Latin American cities. Using ethnographic research methods, we engaged with Venezuelans living in conditions of informality in four Colombian cities—Barranquilla, Cucuta, Riohacha, and Soacha—and three Peruvian cities—Lima, Trujillo, and Tumbes. We conducted 130 interviews of both Venezuelan migrants and state and non-governmental actors within the healthcare ecosystems of these cities. We found that forced migrants from Venezuela in both Colombia and Peru face common obstacles along their access trajectories to healthcare, which we summarize as legal, financial, and relating to discrimination and information asymmetry. By limiting effective access to care during the pandemic, these obstacles have also affected migrants’ ability to cover the costs of basic needs, particularly food and housing. Our study also found a prevalent reliance on alternative forms of care, such as telemedicine, easy-to-access pharmacies, and extralegal care networks. We conclude that COVID-19 has exacerbated preexisting conditions of informality and health inequities affecting Venezuelan migrants in Colombia and Peru.
KW - Forced migration
KW - Healthcare
KW - Informality
KW - COVID-19
KW - Colombia
KW - Peru
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85111472697&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jmh.2020.100029
DO - 10.1016/j.jmh.2020.100029
M3 - Article in a journal
C2 - 34405183
SN - 2666-6235
VL - 3
JO - Journal of Migration and Health
JF - Journal of Migration and Health
M1 - 100029
ER -
