Health and Bolivian Inmigrants in Argentina

PIZARRO, CYNTHIA ALEJANDRA

Moscú

Simposio; International Symposium Migratory Bridges in Eurasia; 2012

Institute of Social-Political Researches. Russian Academy of Sciences

Disease-health-assistance processes are not only determined by biological factors but also by economic, social and cultural ones such as the international and national socio-economic and political context; the social position of individuals and groups in a particular context regarding class, ethny, gender, age, nationality and migratory conditions; and specific material circumstances: biological, environmental and psychological. Immigrants are frequently exposed to several difficulties in their societies of destine: bad working conditions, triple day trips in the case of women, social vulnerability, sexual and labor violence, discrimination, among others. Immigrant population is particularly socially vulnerable, especially regarding health. Even though immigrants generally have a good health profile and their migratory social networks are frequently a significant contention, migration generates various risk situations that can affect their physical and psychological health such as exposure to a new socio cultural environment, separation from close relatives and adaptation to a new world. In this paper we will refer to the situation of Bolivian immigrants in Argentina regarding health problems and their access to health services, a few words will be said referring to the way in which discriminatory and xenophobic behaviors affect the process of health-desease-assistance.