Refugee Women's Network Inc.

Refugee Women’s Network (RWN) and The US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) conducted a Refugee and Healthcare Roundtable Discussion on September 6, 2007 at the DeKalb County Board of Health.

The Refugee Women’s Network and The US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants invited community leaders serving the Atlanta metro refugee community to engage with refugee service and health providers. Representatives from several refugee resettlement agencies, refugee & immigrant service providers, multicultural and bi-lingual community leaders, local non-profit agencies and health care service providers discussed health issues that are critical to the refugee community. The group discussed and listed top ten health concerns, some of which were access to health care, nutrition, sexual and reproductive health, mental health, physical health and hygiene, environmental and occupational health hazards etc.

Many providers discussed issues like limited language proficiency, lack of culturally sensitive/culturally appropriate services, lack of knowledge about the health care system, inability of the service provider to effectively communicate with the patient etc as major barriers for refugees to access health care services. Participants shared resources/information about refugee and immigrant health that are available in different languages. USCRI will compile the findings and recommendations from the roundtable and we will make it available here on our website.

Health Promoters Program, a project of Refugee Women’s Network that educates refugee women to become peer health educators was held up as a good model to bridge the gap between health care service providers and refugee and immigrant communities. If you are interested to become a Health Promoter or would like to introduce our Health Promoters Program in your community, contact Parvin Bonab at 404-299-0180 or leadershipprogram@riwn.org