The difficulties faced by indigenous people in developing countries when accessing health care: A case study in Nicaragua

TY - CONF

T1 - The difficulties faced by indigenous people in developing countries when accessing health care: A case study in Nicaragua

AU - Papworth, Andrew John

PY - 2017/10/17

Y1 - 2017/10/17

N2 - A number of studies have investigated the utilization element of health-care access for Indigenous peoples, but most of this research has been conducted with Indigenous populations based in developed countries, principally Australia, the United States, and Canada. The research presented in this article is an attempt to begin addressing this imbalance and is based on a case study of the Rama who live on the Caribbean Coast of Nicaragua. It represents the first time access to health for this Indigenous group has been investigated. Research data come from one focus group and 31 semistructured interviews with both Rama individuals and non-Rama health professionals, conducted between May and June 2016. The article will first outline the present condition of health care on the Caribbean Coast, encapsulating both Western and traditional medicine facilities. The article will then describe the difficulties many Rama face with financial decision-making and explore how this affects their ability to access health care. Finally, it will briefly outline individual case studies to describe the structural barriers to health care that exist for the Rama. These are many and complex and include a lack of reliable health information, a shortage of Rama health professionals, poor retention rates for non-Rama staff, and the high price and low availability of medicines. The article will conclude by highlighting the heterogeneity of Rama health-care experiences and through drawing on the cultural safety and health inequality literatures by outlining potential solutions.

AB - A number of studies have investigated the utilization element of health-care access for Indigenous peoples, but most of this research has been conducted with Indigenous populations based in developed countries, principally Australia, the United States, and Canada. The research presented in this article is an attempt to begin addressing this imbalance and is based on a case study of the Rama who live on the Caribbean Coast of Nicaragua. It represents the first time access to health for this Indigenous group has been investigated. Research data come from one focus group and 31 semistructured interviews with both Rama individuals and non-Rama health professionals, conducted between May and June 2016. The article will first outline the present condition of health care on the Caribbean Coast, encapsulating both Western and traditional medicine facilities. The article will then describe the difficulties many Rama face with financial decision-making and explore how this affects their ability to access health care. Finally, it will briefly outline individual case studies to describe the structural barriers to health care that exist for the Rama. These are many and complex and include a lack of reliable health information, a shortage of Rama health professionals, poor retention rates for non-Rama staff, and the high price and low availability of medicines. The article will conclude by highlighting the heterogeneity of Rama health-care experiences and through drawing on the cultural safety and health inequality literatures by outlining potential solutions.

M3 - Abstract

T2 - Qualitative Health Research Conference, 2017

Y2 - 17 October 2017 through 19 October 2017

ER -