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Health to me means that I'm physically and mentally well and can do anything I want without struggling. Health to me also means having food, Housing, health services, and education because those things can affect our health once we do not have them; therefore, I'm grateful to have access to all of them.

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Being Iraqi means a lot to me, but the one feeling I genuinely like talking about the most is that I'm proud. I'm proud of my country and people and how much we have been through. One example is the protests in Iraq on the first of October 2019, known as the Tishreen Movement. A group of people planned protests in the capital city of Baghdad, protesting decent human rights such as clean water, the right to have a job and electricity, which the people in the government take the money for their benefit. It all started when a small group of youths began protesting in Tahir Square, Baghdad. More people started to join in, shouting, "We reject humiliation, " simply demanding change. But the government used teargas, spread with boiling water from cannons and live ammunition, also went as far as shutting down T.V. stations and threatening actresses and journalists for covering the issue. The protests continued until 2021 after the death of more than 500 and injured thousands of protesters. So, I am proud of my people and country for finally demanding peace and rights after suffering for many years.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/10/1/thousands-of-iraqis-gather-to-mark-2019-anti-government-protest

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The most essential aspect of competency is standard 4.1, which is about respecting people's right to have an interpreter working to help them and making sure that the interpreter speaks the same language. Also, it is crucial to acknowledge that in some cultures, women do not talk to men outside of their family; therefore, it is essential to provide them with an interpreter of the correct gender. I have improved my understanding that language and communication barriers are the most serious obstacles to qualiltuy care and can also results in serious obstacles and delyed inefficient care. Now, I know the importance of having the right interpreter, so I feel more comfortable and confident caring for future patients from different cultures. This skill is critical since I live in Australia, and many people of different cultures and backgrounds exist. It is also essential to know that even if one of the patient's family members can translate for them, they could find it hard to translate or explain medical terms or conditions, so have an interpreter just in case.

(COMPETENCY STANDARDS FRAMEWORK FOR CLINICIANS JANUARY 2019)

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Principal health issues that refugees face

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Principal health issues that refugees face

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I want to pick Iraq since that is where I am from and because I came to Australia as a refugee. Many of us began to leave Iraq after the 2003 U.S. invasion, which caused the displacement of approximately 1 in 25 Iraqis from their homes. It has been two decades since the U.S. invasion, but my people still experience a legacy of forced displacement and humanitarian crisis. As of March 2023, more than 1.1 million Iraqis are still internally displaced or refugees abroad. The health issues that Iraqis suffer upon arriving in Australia are Mental health, low vitamin D and Schistosomiasis.

Mental health
Refugees show high mental health problems, such as post-traumatic stress disorder. In my culture, it is very uncommon for people to get help for their mental health. They are starting a  life in a new country,  learning a new language, moving to a new house and facing financial instability. They could also face hardships in accessing careers, which can impact mental health risks. One of the methods that could help with mental health is seeing a therapist.

Schistosomiasis
Schistosoma is a chronic parasitic infection caught through contact with infective cercariae in freshwater, like swimming or bathing, that an intermediate snail host has released in fresh water. Praziquantel is a suggested treatment against all types of schistosomiasis. It is practical, safe and also not costly. Even though there is a chance of re-infection after treatment, the risk of developing severe disease is reduced and even inverted when treatment is instigated and repeated in childhood.

vitamin D
Low vitamin D is a dominant health issue in Australia's refugee and asylum seeker populations. Vitamin D is vital for bone and muscle health; there is rising evidence of vitamin D status and poor health outcomes. Sunlight is the most influential source of vitamin D, providing over 90% of vitamin D in the human body.

https://refugeehealthguide.org.au/
https://aifs.gov.au/resources/short-articles/understanding-mental-health-and-help-seeking-behaviours-refugees#:~:text=For%20a%20range%20of%20reasons,is%20low%20and%2For%20problematic.

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Australian Refugee Health " Primary Care for People of Refugee Backgrounds

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The Australian Refugee Health Practice Guide can be used by doctors, nurses and other primary care providers to inform on-arrival and ongoing health care for people from refugee backgrounds, including people seeking asylum.

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The social determinants I pick are education, working conditions, housing, basic amenities, and the environment. Those affected my family so I can talk from an experience. The first is education; here in Australia, people can only work in a specific field if they finish a certain level of education first. Back in my country, many people only need a level of education if they know how to do their job. For example, my mother was a hairdresser back home; she even owned her beauty salon, but she needed qualifications, so she could not do that in Australia. The second social determinant is the working conditions; getting a job in Australia. People who come to Australia can find it very challenging to find a job here due to language barriers; it can also be difficult because, as I mentioned earlier, you need qualifications to get a job. My aunty studied dentistry back home, but they told her she had to return to university and do it again if she wanted a job. The last one is Housing, basic amenities and the environment, it can take a lot of work to adapt to new environments after moving to Australia; it is a significant cultural shock. Everything is hard when you move to a different century, like finding a house, learning how to catch the bus or even using the seatbelt, which was hard for me because I only used it once I came to Australia.
https://www.who.int/health-topics/social-determinants-of-health#tab=tab_1

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The social determinants of health (SDH) are the non-medical factors that influence health outcomes. They are the conditions in which people are born, grow, work, live, and age, and the wider set of forces and systems shaping the conditions of daily life. These forces and systems include economic policies and systems, development agendas, social norms, social policies and political systems.

The SDH have an important influence on health inequities - the unfair and avoidable differences in health status seen within and between countries. In countries at all levels of income, health and illness follow a social gradient: the lower the socioeconomic position, the worse the health.

The following list provides examples of the social determinants of health, which can influence health equity in positive and negative ways:

Income and social protection

Education

Unemployment and job insecurity

Working life conditions

Food insecurity

Housing, basic amenities and the environment

Early childhood development

Social inclusion and non-discrimination

Structural conflict

Access to affordable health services of decent quality.

Research shows that the social determinants can be more important than health care or lifestyle choices in influencing health. For example, numerous studies suggest that SDH account for between 30-55% of health outcomes. In addition, estimates show that the contribution of sectors outside health to population health outcomes exceeds the contribution from the health sector.

Addressing SDH appropriately is fundamental for improving health and reducing longstanding inequities in health, which requires action by all sectors and civil society.

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WHO's work on social determinants of health