Sudanese Culture and Health by

The Importance of Education and Inclusion

rebecca94roberts — 2024-08-19 12:47:50 UTC

Only 50% of refugee children attend regular primary school (Starting out - Why Education for Refugees Matters, n.d.). This video highlights the importance of education and inclusion for refugees and how it can help them with their sense of belonging.

REFERENCES

Starting Out - Why education for refugees matters. (n.d.). UNHCR Australia. https://www.unhcr.org/au/starting-out-why-education-refugees-matters

“I only feel happy when I teach people,” said Mr. Abdul*, “It is the greatest profession in the world.” Having moved to Egypt as a Sudanese refugee over... | By Save the Children AustraliaFacebook. (2022). Facebook.com. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=346058631279989

The Health Impact Cultural Beliefs have on Sudanese Women

rebecca94roberts — 2024-08-19 12:53:07 UTC

The Sudanese cultural and religious beliefs can have an extensive impact on the way refugees access healthcare once in Australia. The way Sudanese women respond to health issues can be influenced by socioeconomic and cultural norms stemming from heavy reliance on God's will and traditional beliefs about being susceptible to spiritual illnesses and witchcraft (Serizawa et al., 2014). Harmful procedures of genital mutilation and infibulation are seen as highly important in Sudanese tradition but can cause immense pain and trauma (Serizawa et al., 2014). Another tradition that is meant to protect Sudanese women and their newborns from evil spirits and witchcraft is forbidding them from leaving their homes or having visitors for 40 days (Serizawa et al., 2014). This includes healthcare workers (Serizawa et al., 2014). This means Sudanese refugee women will not access the postpartum care they may need after giving birth (Serizawa et al., 2014). Sudanese people also do not believe in birth control, as they believe all children are gifts from God (Serizawa et al., 2014). These traditions and beliefs will impact how female Sudanese refugees access maternity and postpartum care while in Australia.

REFERENCES

Serizawa, A., Ito, K., Algaddal, A. H., & Eltaybe, R. A. M. (2014). Cultural perceptions and health behaviors related to safe motherhood among village women in Eastern Sudan: Ethnographic study. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 51(4), 572–581. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0020748913002472?via%3Dihub

Photos: In a refugee camp in Chad, Sudanese women are running out of hope. (n.d.). Al Jazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/gallery/2023/12/15/photos-sudanese-women-run-out-of-hope-as-conflict-drags-on

Traditional Sudanese Dance

rebecca94roberts — 2024-08-19 13:02:02 UTC

REFERENCE

Le_Chancelier. (2022, January 15). Sudanese dance. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8B8__oypCUM

Traditional Sudanese Medicine

rebecca94roberts — 2024-08-26 02:07:10 UTC

In Sudan, 90% of the population relies heavily on traditional plant-based medicine (Kuhnert & Karar, 2017). Sudanese people face many social health determinants, including healthcare access and quality. As most Sudanese people have limited access to hospitals and synthetic drugs, they must have alternative options (Kuhnert & Karar, 2017). They use these traditional plant medicines to treat various illnesses and conditions. These include animal bites, infections, inflammation, diabetes, bleeding, malaria, diarrhea, and digestive disorders (Kuhnert & Karar, 2017). They can even help treat cancer (Kuhnert & Karar, 2017). Some popular plants used in Saudan include Umm Shara, Sahab and Al-Talih (Kuhnert & Karar, 2017). Different parts of the plants are used, as shown in the graph above.

REFERENCES

Kuhnert, N., & Karar, M. E. (2017). Herbal drugs from Sudan: Traditional uses and phytoconstituents. Pharmacognosy Reviews, 11(22), 83. https://doi.org/10.4103/phrev.phrev_15_15

My Reflection on Being a Culturally Responsive Nurse.

rebecca94roberts — 2024-08-26 02:42:18 UTC

Upon reflecting on the framework, I was forced to put myself in the shoes of a refugee (Migrant and Refugee Women’s Health Partnership, 2019). I imagined the fear and confusion a Sudanese refugee would be experiencing while trying to access healthcare in a foreign country, such as Australia. I was made aware of how important it is for a healthcare worker to make these patients feel comfortable and understood (Migrant and Refugee Women’s Health Partnership, 2019). Domain 1.1 outlines this importance and further proves my belief that caring for your patients in a way that is appropriate for their individual needs while still building a therapeutic relationship is essential (Migrant and Refugee Women’s Health Partnership, 2019). In my future endeavours as a nurse, I will ensure that I respond sensitively to my patients regardless of their cultural background and modify my practice as needed.

REFERENCES:

Samaritanś Purse. (n.d.). Nurse Erin Whitehouse examines a child at the camp’s Stabilization Center. Many refugees arrive in Yida with malnourished children that need immediate care. Mothers throughout the camp know to bring their children to the center if they become ill or need medical attention. https://www.samaritanspurse.org/article/yida-refugee-camp-relief-update/

Migrant and Refugee Women’s Health Partnership. (2019). Culturally Responsive Clinical Practice: Working with People from Migrant and Refugee Backgrounds COMPETENCY STANDARDS FRAMEWORK FOR CLINICIANS. https://culturaldiversityhealth.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Culturally-responsive-clinical-practice-Working-with-people-from-migrant-and-refugee-backgrounds-Jan2019.pdf

The impact of social inclusion and non-discrimination.

rebecca94roberts — 2024-08-26 03:18:49 UTC

This video outlines how social exclusion and discrimination can negatively impact refugee health. In this case, refugees were discriminated against during the COVID-19 outbreak, which ultimately led to the refugees being too scared to go and get tested or treated for COVID-19. A recent study shows that refugees who feel socially included and have access to support have a higher level of health and well-being (Ziersch et al., 2017). Greater mental and physical health was linked to contentment with social networks, while better mental health was linked to contentment with social support (Ziersch et al., 2017). This study proves that when refugees feel welcomed into their new society, they are more likely to feel confident in accessing essential healthcare and will have a higher overall well-being (Ziersch et al., 2017).

REFERENCES

Ziersch, A., Due, C., Walsh, M., & Arthurson, K. (2017). Housing, social inclusion and health and wellbeing for people from refugee and asylum seeking backgrounds. https://anglicaresa.com.au/wp-content/uploads/1749_Belonging-begins-at-home-report_WEB-final.pdf

Fighting Stigma and Discrimination against Migrants during COVID-19. (n.d.). Www.youtube.com. Retrieved August 26, 2024, from https://www.youtube.com/shorts/tABjL0OD3tQ

Common Health issues in Sudanese Refugees

rebecca94roberts — 2024-08-26 03:56:19 UTC

REFERENCES

Queensland Health Multicultural Services. (2011). Community Profiles for Health Care Providers - Sudanese Profile. https://www.health.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0031/157378/sudanese2011.pdf

Example of Cultural Safety in Healthcare

rebecca94roberts — 2024-08-26 04:34:16 UTC

This is an example of how adapting our healthcare practice to meet the cultural needs of a patient can help make the patient feel safe and understood. These tools can be used when treating Sudanese refugees. For example, most Sudanese people follow a Muslim religion. When greeting people, they are only allowed to shake hands with people of the same sex (Queensland Health Multicultural Services, 2011). Sudanese people only use their right hand for eating and greeting, whereas their left is for bodily hygiene rituals (Queensland Health Multicultural Services, 2011). This knowledge can be helpful while treating Sudanese refugees as it can help the patient feel culturally safe.

REFERENCES

Queensland Health Multicultural Services. (2011). Community Profiles for Health Care Providers - Sudanese Profile. https://www.health.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0031/157378/sudanese2011.pdf

Renat Khasanov. (2017). Cultural Competence Example. In YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEPukt7Yw6A