Person: Blukacz, Alice
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Alice Blukacz
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Publication The social and health protection of migrants in Chile: qualitative analysis of civil society proposals for constitutional change(2023) Cabieses, Báltica; Obach, Alexandra; Blukacz, Alice; Esnouf, Sophie; Mezones, Edward; Espinoza, Manuel; DeJong, JocelynBackground: A sustained period of social, economic, and political unrest took place during October of 2019 in Chile. As an institutional solution, the "Agreement for Social Peace and the New Constitution" was signed. In this document, most political parties committed to reestablishing peace and public order in Chile, agreeing on the initiation of a constitutional process. To promote participation of civil society actors, the "Popular Initiative for Norms" was enabled. This was a platform where civilians could submit proposals for constitutional norms to be discussed by the Constitutional Convention. We aimed to analyze proposals related to migrants and migrant health. Methods: We conducted a qualitative thematic analysis of the proposals. Sixteen of them were related to migrants, and we analyzed their association to health. We also evaluated their link to the Health Goals 2030 set out by the Chilean Ministry of Health and the Global Action Plan 2019-2023 for Promoting the Health of Refugees and Migrants by the World Health Organization. Results: Four main thematic categories were identified: 1) Humans rights of migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers; 2) Nationality and regularization of migrants and refugees; 3) Political participation and cultural integration of migrants and refugees; and 4) Specific regulations on slavery and human trafficking. These resonated with broader frameworks established in the Health Goals 2030 (Chile) and the Global Action Plan 2019-2023 for Promoting the Health of Refugees and Migrants by the World Health Organization. Conclusions: The 'Popular Initiative for Norms' was a non-binding participatory mechanism. Although the proposals sent through were not guaranteed to be included in the constitutional draft-and despite the final draft being rejected last September 2022-the platform allowed to gain insights into civilian opinions. Our findings showed that there is an incipient yet weak recognition of the rights and situation of migrants in Chile. There was no direct mention of health nor an explicit contemplation of social determinants of health. Despite there being an urgent need to define strategies for migrants' health in Chile, this study demonstrated that civil awareness and interest are still insufficient.Publication Quemaduras: ¿por qué prestarles especial atención a los adolescentes en América Latina y El Caribe desde un enfoque de prevención primaria en salud?(2023) Blukacz, Alice; Cabieses, Báltica; Obach, Alexandra; Fuentes, Rodrigo; Carmina, Domic; Peredes, Carola; Saavedra, Rolando; Rojas, JorgeLa evidencia existente en materia de quemaduras en población menor de edad a nivel global se ha enfocado principalmente en niños y niñas menores de 10 años, dejando atrás al grupo etario definido como "adolescente" por la Organización Mundial de la Salud. Sin embargo, la etapa de la adolescencia presenta características propias que la diferencian de los rangos etarios menores con respecto a las quemaduras. Estas diferencias son relevantes desde una perspectiva de prevención primaria, la cual se centra en evitar la enfermedad o lesión. En este contexto, el presente artículo reflexiona en torno a los motivos por los cuales es necesario prestarles especial atención a las y los adolescentes en el marco de la prevención primaria de las quemaduras, con relevancia para Latinoamérica y El Caribe. Primero, los escenarios de quemaduras en adolescentes muchas veces se vinculan con la participación en actividades de riesgo por presión, deseabilidad social o baja percepción de los riesgos asociados. Segundo, es importante recalcar que los adolescentes pueden experimentar vulnerabilidad social, la cual los puede exponer al riesgo de sufrir una quemadura intencional o no. Tercero, el riesgo de quemaduras en adolescentes se puede asociar con la salud mental y escenarios de autolesión. Se requiere indagar en estos aspectos, tanto a través de estudios cuantitativos epidemiológicos como de estudios cualitativos, para poder diseñar e implementar estrategias de prevención primarias relevantes para este grupo de población en la región.Publication Acceso a salud de migrantes internacionales en pandemia en Chile: resultados de encuesta cuantitativa(2023) Cabieses, Báltica; Blukacz, Alice; Obach, Alexandra; CARREÑO CALDERON, ALEJANDRA; Oyarte, Marcela; Alvarez, Maria; Osse, Claudio; Mezones, EdwardEl 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. The objective of the study was to analyze barriers to access to health care in Chile reported by international migrants residing in the metropolitan region of the country and associated factors. For this purpose, a digital survey on vulnerabilities and resources of migrant communities in Chile to face the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic was applied. A descriptive and stratified analysis was performed by demographic and socioeconomic variables, type of health provision and migratory status. As results, immigrants from Haiti reported the highest percentage of barriers to health care access, after adjusting for socio-demographic variables and migratory status.Publication Intersections between gender approaches, migration and health in Latin America and the Caribbean: a discussion based on a scoping review(2023) Cabieses, Báltica; Blukacz, Alice; Velázquez, Benelli; Farante, Sofia; Bojórquez, Ietza; Mezones, EdwardGender is a sociocultural construct that assigns forms of behaviour, power, and roles to individuals based on their sexual differentiation. There are multiple gender approaches that help distinguish risks, health conditions and behaviours related to the body, health-disease processes, and differential opportunities to access health care. Based on a scoping review of scientific and grey literature in LAC, we discuss existing understandings of international migrants’ health in LAC with a focus on gender approaches. Our discussion covers the following seven dimensions: genderbased violence, sexual and reproductive health, sexually transmitted diseases, mental health, barriers to healthcare services, and emerging patterns of health and healthcare among men and LGBTIQA+. The evidence indicates the urgent need to adopt gender approaches when addressing migrant and refugee health in LAC. Including gender approaches into ongoing strategies for promoting and protecting the health and rights of migrants and refugees is a pending challenge in the region.Publication Desafíos para el abordaje de la salud de los migrantes en Chile durante la pandemia por Covid-19: una revisión de alcance(2023) Cabieses, Báltica; Obach, Alexandra; Blukacz, Alice; Rada, Isabel; CARREÑO CALDERON, ALEJANDRA; Mezones, EdwardObjetivo.Indagar sobre los principales desafíos reportados en el marco de la emergencia sanitaria de SARS-CoV-2 según la evidencia científica disponible a la fecha en esta materia en Chile. Material y métodos. Revisión de alcance con base en tres búsquedas en Web of Science, PubMed y Google Scholar de publicaciones en inglés y español publicadas entre 2020 y 2023. Resultados. Se identificaron tres áreas clave: desafíos de acceso y uso efectivo del sistema de salud, desafíos más allá del sistema de salud, incluyendo aquellas relaciones con determinantes sociales de la salud, autocuidado e información y, finalmente, desafíos de integración de los enfoques de interculturalidad, género y cooperación internacional. Conclusiones. Se evidencian oportunidades de mejorar el abordaje de la salud de personas migrantes internacionales en Chile a raíz de la pandemia por Covid-19, de cara a futuras crisis sanitarias y para reducir brechas e inequidades que impactan la salud poblacional. Objective. To investigate the main challenges in the context of the SARS-CoV-2 health emergency according to the scientific evidence available to date in this area in Chile. Materials and methods. Scoping review based on three searches in Web of Science, PubMed and Google Scholar of publications in English and Spanish published between 2020 and 2023. Results. Three key areas were identified: the challenges of access and effective use of the health system, the challenges beyond the health system, including those related to social determinants of health, self-care and information, and finally, the challenges of integrating intercultural, gender and international cooperation approaches. Conclusions. There are opportunities to better address the health of international migrants in Chile in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, anticipating future health crises and to reduce gaps and inequities that impact population health.Publication Barriers and facilitators to access sexual and reproductive health services among young migrants in Tarapacá, Chile: a qualitative study(2024) Obach, Alexandra; Blukacz, Alice; Sadler, Michelle; CARREÑO CALDERON, ALEJANDRA; Cabieses, Báltica; Carolina DíazBackground: 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.Publication Emergency preparedness and response sensitive of migrant populations in Chile: postpandemic perspectives(2024) Blukacz, Alice; Cabieses, Báltica; Obach, Alexandra; CARREÑO CALDERON, ALEJANDRA; Mezones, EdwardOn 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.Publication Adequate housing as a social determinant of the health of international migrants and locals in Chile between 2013 and 2022(2024) Blukacz, Alice; Oyarte, Marcela; Cabieses, BálticaBackground: Adequate housing is a fundamental right and a social determinant of health. It also represents a historically contentious topic in Latin America. Migratory flows to Chile have become increasingly precarious in the past few years, limiting opportunities for adequate housing, with potential repercussions on the health of international migrants and the general population. This study aims to analyse adequate housing as a social determinant of health among international migrants and locals between 2013 and 2022 in Chile. Methods: Observational cross-sectional study based on repeated versions of the nationally representative Socioeconomic Characterization Survey in Chile. Adequate housing indicators adapted from the United Nations Housing Rights Programme guidelines were analyzed with relation to individual health, distinguishing between the local and international migrant populations. Logistic regression models were fitted for housing indicators with migration as the main independent variable and for short-term and long-term healthcare needs in locals and immigrants with housing as the main dependent variables. Models were adjusted for sociodemographic variables and considered the complex sample design. Results: Descriptive findings indicated higher availability of services and infrastructure among international migrants, and a disadvantage for habitability, location, and affordability by quintiles compared to locals. Logistic regression models, adjusting for demographic variables, revealed significant associations between migration status and overcrowding (OR 6.14, 2022), poor housing materiality (OR 5.65, 2022) and proximity to healthcare centres (OR 1.4, 2022) compared to locals. Experiencing hazardous situations consistently predicted short-term healthcare needs in both migrants (OR = 1.4, 2022) and locals (OR = 2.8, 2022). Overcrowding predicted both long and short-term healthcare needs among locals across the years and long term needs among migrants in 2013 and 2015. Conclusions: We found significant inequities in adequate housing between migrant populations and locals in Chile, and some inequities among both populations based on structural socioeconomic deprivation. Experiencing hazardous situations emerged as a social determinant of health among international migrants in 2022, potentially suggesting growing challenges related to social exclusion in urban areas. However, limitations such as exclusion criteria of the survey and sample sizes for data on the migrant population potentially suggest that housing challenges and their impact on health are underestimated.Publication International migration, food insecurity, and mental health: A scoping review protocol(2024) Blukacz, Alice; Cabieses, Báltica; Huerta, Catalina; Lake, Amelia A.; Smith, Jo; Giles, Emma L.; Deane, FayeINTRODUCTION Food insecurity is a global priority that has been found to negatively impact mental health, increasing the risk of mental disorders and severe mental illness. International migrants may face food insecurity throughout their migratory cycle due to a range of risk factors, such as poor transit conditions, precarious employment, financial pressure, discrimination, and lack of availability and access to culturally relevant food, among others. Although there are multiple reviews on migration, food insecurity, and health in general, no scoping review has been conducted on food insecurity among international migrants focusing on mental health. OBJECTIVE To investigate the available evidence on food insecurity and mental health among international migrants. METHODS A search of scientific literature in English, Spanish, French, Italian, and Portuguese published since 2013 will be performed in the Web of Science, PubMed, Medline, APA PsycArticles, Cinahl, and ASSIA databases, including grey literature available in Google Scholar. Two authors will independently review titles, abstracts, and full texts before extracting data from publications complying with the eligibility criteria. Extracted data will be descriptively mapped according to emerging thematic categories. EXPECTED RESULTS The review will contribute to identifying what is known about international migration, food insecurity, and mental health, gaps in the literature, opportunities for specific research subtopics, and how food insecurity and mental health can be linked in the existing literature.Publication Acceso a servicios de salud para personas migrantes internacionales durante la pandemia por COVID-19: estudio cualitativo(2023) Obach, Alexandra; Blukacz, Alice; Cabieses, Báltica; CARREÑO CALDERON, ALEJANDRA; Stefoni, Carolina; Pérez, ClaudiaObjective: To explore the experience and perception of international migrants in Chile regarding access to health services during the pandemic. Method: Collective case study following the qualitative paradigm. Forty semi-structured interviews were carried out with 30 migrants from different countries in Latin America and the Caribbean and 10 key actors from the health or social sector in November and December 2020. The interviews were analyzed thematically. Results: Perceived facilitators for general access to health services are related to formal work, support networks, and good treatment, while barriers are linked to immigration status, information gaps, discrimination, lack of cross-cultural skills, and personal limits of the system. In the context of access to COVID-19 diagnosis and treatment, the main barriers identified are: cultural approach to the disease, communication gaps, experiences of discrimination, costs, and lack of support networks. Conclusion: Access to health services is related to social vulnerability and violation of international migrants rights.