Health care access for refugee children: a scoping review

Abstract

Objective To identify and synthesize how access to healthcare for refugee children occurs, and to discuss gaps and directions for future research.Methods A systematic scoping review was conducted in five stages: (1) identification of the research question, (2) detection of relevant studies, (3) study selection, (4) data extraction and summarization, and (5) reporting of results.Results Eight international studies were included in the analysis. The addressed topics focused on sexual health, mental health, cardiovascular care, respiratory care, and challenges in accessing healthcare services. These studies demonstrated that addressing the needs of refugee children requires an understanding of cultural diversity and a comprehensive approach to health promotion, regardless of their place of birth, color, race, religion, gender, or other factors.Conclusion The analyzed studies do not primarily focus on healthcare for settled refugee children. Effective and discrimination-free assistance requires appropriate qualifications and knowledge. There is limited literature on settled refugee children in low-income countries, especially in Latin American ones