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The challenges of providing primary health care to Afghan immigrants in Tehran: a key global human right issue

Afsaneh Takbiri (Department of Health Management and Economics, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran)
AmirHossein Takian (Department of Health Management and Economics, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Department of Global Health and Public Policy, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran and Health Equity Research Center (HERC), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran)
Abbas Rahimi Foroushani (Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran)
Ebrahim Jaafaripooyan (Department of Health Management and Economics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran)

International Journal of Human Rights in Healthcare

ISSN: 2056-4902

Article publication date: 15 May 2020

Issue publication date: 18 June 2020

155

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to explore the challenges of providing primary health care (PHC) to Afghan immigrants in Tehran as an important global human right issue.

Design/methodology/approach

In this exploratory study, a total of 25 purposively selected PHC providers, including physicians, psychologists and midwives, were approached for face-to-face, semi-structured interviews, lasting 30 min on average. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data.

Findings

The most common challenges of providing PHC to Afghan immigrants were categorized at individual, organizational and societal levels. Communication barriers and socioeconomic features emerged at the individual level. The organizational challenges included mainly the lack of insurance coverage for all immigrants and the lack of a screening system upon the immigrants’ arrival from the borders. At the societal level, the negative attitudes toward Afghan immigrants were causing a problematic challenge.

Research limitations/implications

The main limitation was the possibility that only health-care professionals with particular positive or negative perspectives about immigrants enter into the study, because of the voluntary nature of participation.

Practical implications

Findings can help policymakers adopt evidence-informed strategies for facilitating PHC provision and improving the access to health care in immigrants as a global human right concern.

Social implications

This study alerts about undesirable consequences of certain attitudes and behaviors of the society toward immigrant health.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is one of the first studies conducted in PHC centers in Tehran Province that explores the challenges of providing PHC to Afghan immigrants.

Keywords

Citation

Takbiri, A., Takian, A., Rahimi Foroushani, A. and Jaafaripooyan, E. (2018), "The challenges of providing primary health care to Afghan immigrants in Tehran: a key global human right issue", International Journal of Human Rights in Healthcare, Vol. 13 No. 3, pp. 259-273. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJHRH-06-2019-0042

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited

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