The place of social work in improving access to health services among refugees: A case study of Nakivale settlement, Uganda

Abstract

About 70.8 million individuals are displaced worldwide, and of these, 25.9 million are refugees. Accessibility to health care is a central aspect of the well-being of refugees. This article examines the communication, institutional and socio-cultural challenges to access and use of health services among refugee women and children and conceptualises the social work position in tackling such issues. The study used mixed quantitative and qualitative methods. The findings indicate complex experiences of refuge and ongoing gendered oppression and vulnerability. This research proposes a rights-based social work approach to addressing impediments at micro, meso and macro levels.