Wraparound health and social supports for newcomers to Canada is essential for addressing TB and stigma related to health conditions, new report finds

“The findings in this report are drawn from the unique experiences of newcomers to Canada, their descriptions and observations of the particular kinds of stigma they’ve faced, and their experiences of what has worked to help them address tuberculosis and other health challenges,” said Cliff Ledwos, Director of Primary Care and Associate Executive Director at Access Alliance. “Coordinated collaboration across health and social sectors that interact with newcomers, to ensure timely and sustained access to wraparound health services, is one of the big keys to ensuring that stigma and other barriers to health and wellbeing are addressed, and people can get the supports they need.”

The global pandemic continues to show how disparities and inequities related to access to wraparound health and social supports are key factors that affect if someone will get sick, how sick they get, and if they’ll be able to access the care they need to get well when and if they do. This report points at what needs to be done to ensure people can get that access to wraparound supports in a timely fashion.

Some key findings of the report include:

• In 2017, populations not born in Canada represented over 70 per cent of reported cases of active tuberculosis. Despite this, newcomers face significant barriers to accessing comprehensive health and social care and support.
• Working to address culturally-specific TB-related stigma must be a priority to increase access to local health and social supports. This requires campaigns that are community-informed, designed and delivered.
• Economic precarity and stigma combined can force marginalized populations to prioritize food, housing, employment, as well as settlement and legal issues over their health.
• Risks presented by TB are an opportunity to connect people directly to wraparound supports that are needed to address complex issues, including other issues related to mental health and chronic disease management.
• TB education, screening, treatment and care works best when centered in interdisciplinary team-based primary care settings, offered in collaboration with Public Health, TB specialists, settlement and social service providers.

Voices in support of Tackling TB Stigma

“Community health centres like Access Alliance are vital to supporting new immigrants address social determinants of health. They are a commendable example of a group that is actively working to break down barriers for their community members, including through their work on tuberculosis-related stigma.”
— Dr Theresa Tam, Chief Public Health Officer of Canada

“Our association was honoured to contribute to this project and are encouraged by this report. Not only does it improve our understanding of the many intersecting factors that contribute to stigma and its impact on health, it will also better equip agencies and service providers across Canada to integrate approaches that reduce stigma and its impact on diverse individuals and groups.”
–Scott Wolfe, Canadian Association of Community Health Centres

“I’m thankful for being included in this project and having the opportunity learn about the gravity of the TB situation faced by newcomer communities in Canada.  The barriers of stigmatization presents serious challenges in ensuring care and accurate health information reaches residents who most need support.  The effort made to engage stakeholders across sectors is a valuable step forward towards community service alignment to address this and other public health issues for the benefit of all.”
–Craig Todd-Langille, Toronto Public Library

“The intersections of TB, inequity, stigma, migration and (un)settlement are glaring in this telling report. The Access Alliance team has laid out a really well informed vision to address gaps in how we treat newcomers affected by TB.”
–Professor Amrita Dafarty, York University

“TB has such a deep and profound impact on the lives of some of the most vulnerable members of our community and now is the time for change. As a responsible society, and with our health system, we need to carefully examine the recommendations of this report, and commit to implementing them”.
–Tania Xerri, Director of the Health Leadership & Learning Network, York University

Find the full report, fact sheets, and more information here.

Source: Access Alliance Multicultural Health and Community Services