Publication year: 2011
Source: Social Science & Medicine, In Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available online 24 August 2011
Samantha A., Huffman , Jaap, Veen , Monique M., Hennink , Deborah A., McFarland
In recent years, Kazakhstan has become an important destination for primarily undocumented seasonal workers from Uzbekistan. In a context of high tuberculosis (TB) incidence, TB treatment is provided free for all residents in Kazakhstan, but migrants rarely access these services. This paper reports findings from a qualitative study conducted with migrants, TB patients and healthcare workers between July and September 2008 to understand the mechanisms that impede migrants’ access to care. Findings describe three structural contexts – the employment, legal and health care contexts – which act in concert to render migrants vulnerable to exploitative work conditions and cause a…
Highlights: ► First study to examine obstacles to TB control among labor migrants in Central Asia. ► Takes a qualitative approach to elucidating the complex pathways that link undocumented status and risk of TB. ► Analyzes how illegality interacts with exploitation and social marginalization to produce vulnerability to TB. ► Analyzes the role of the post-Soviet health system structure in influencing rationales of access to care for migrants.