Unsplash. (2019). Olga Nayda. Available at: https://unsplash.com/photos/3TQ8I-sR9a8 [Accessed on: 9-October-2023]

In this regard, I endeavor to prioritize person-centered and family-focused care by recognizing that a person’s cultural background has an inherent influence on the choices and decisions they take with regard to their health (Yates & de Oliveira, 2016). Therefore, by keeping this in mind, I aim to create a welcoming and an inclusive healthcare environment that values the autonomy of all patients, by ensuring that their values and preferences remain at the centre of the care that they receive (Oueslati et al., 2022). 

In addition to this, I would also ensure to foster effective communication in all my therapeutic relationships in order to enable an open and respectful dialogue with my patients who belong to diverse backgrounds (Riza et al., 2020). I am confident that this approach will help enhance the trust between me and my patients while also deepening our mutual understanding, which would ultimately lead to better health outcomes for the culturally diverse groups of patients as well (Tuohy, 2019). 

Citations: 

Benuto, L. T., Newlands, R., Singer, J., Casas, J., & Cummings, C. (2021). Culturally sensitive clinical practices: A mixed methods study. Psychological Services, 18(4), 632. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/ser0000493 

Migrant & Refugee Women’s Health Partnership (MRWHP). (2019). Culturally Responsive Clinical Practice: Working with People from Migrant and Refugee Backgrounds. Available at: https://culturaldiversityhealth.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Culturally-responsive-clinical-practice-Working-with-people-from-migrant-and-refugee-backgrounds-Jan2019.pdf [Accessed on: 9-October-2023] 

Oueslati, R., Reis, R., de Vries, M. C., Slager, M. T., van der Sijp, J. R., Stiggelbout, A. M., & Touwen, D. P. (2022). Towards culturally sensitive shared decision-making in oncology a study protocol integrating bioethical qualitative research on shared decision-making among ethnic minorities with ethical reflection. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 21, 16094069221086731. https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069221086731 

Riza, E., Kalkman, S., Coritsidis, A., Koubardas, S., Vassiliu, S., Lazarou, D., ... & Linos, A. (2020, April). Community-based healthcare for migrants and refugees: a scoping literature review of best practices. In Healthcare (Vol. 8, No. 2, p. 115). MDPI. https://doi.org/10.3390%2Fhealthcare8020115 

Tuohy, D. (2019). Effective intercultural communication in nursing. Nursing Standard, 34(2). https://doi.org/10.7748/ns.2019.e11244 

Unsplash. (2017). Andrew Butler. Available at: https://unsplash.com/photos/3TQ8I-sR9a8 [Accessed on: 9-October-2023] 

Yates, J. F., & de Oliveira, S. (2016). Culture and decision making. Organizational behavior and human decision processes, 136, 106–118. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.obhdp.2016.05.003 

1. Income and social protection 

Many migrants and refugees arrive in Australia with limited financial resources and facing substantial economic hardships (Torlinska et al., 2020). Consequently, these insufficient income situations can give rise to several difficulties in securing basic necessities, such as access to healthcare, nutritious food, as well as safe housing (Siddiqui et al., 2020). 

2. Education 

Education is one of the key determinants of health, and despite this, language barriers and differences in the Australian educational systems from their home countries can hinder migrants’ and refugees’ access to quality education (Watkins et al., 2012). Consequently, this limited education can create a vicious cycle of disadvantage, by impacting potential employment opportunities and income for this vulnerable population (Cheng et al., 2016). 

Health is also significantly influenced by safe as well as stable housing, which may be a great challenge for migrants and refugees to secure (Alidoust & Huang, 2023). Subsequently, residing in inadequate accommodations where there is overcrowding and exposure to environmental hazards can affect their overall well-being (Nkosi et al., 2019). 

Alidoust, S., & Huang, W. (2023). A decade of research on housing and health: A systematic literature review. Reviews on Environmental health, 38(1), 45-64. https://doi.org/10.1515/reveh-2021-0121 

Cheng, T. L., Johnson, S. B., & Goodman, E. (2016). Breaking the Intergenerational Cycle of Disadvantage: The Three Generation Approach. Pediatrics, 137(6), e20152467. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2015-2467 

Collins, J. (2013). Multiculturalism and immigrant integration in Australia. Canadian Ethnic Studies, 45(3), 133-149. http://dx.doi.org/10.1353/ces.2013.0037 

Nkosi, V., Haman, T., Naicker, N., & Mathee, A. (2019). Overcrowding and health in two impoverished suburbs of Johannesburg, South Africa. BMC public health, 19, 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-019-7665-5 

Siddiqui, F., Salam, R. A., Lassi, Z. S., & Das, J. K. (2020). The Intertwined Relationship Between Malnutrition and Poverty. Frontiers in public health, 8, 453. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2020.00453 

Torlinska, J., Albani, V., & Brown, H. (2020). Financial hardship and health in a refugee population in Australia: A longitudinal study. Journal of migration and health, 1, 100030. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmh.2020.100030 

Watkins, P. G., Razee, H., & Richters, J. (2012). ‘I'm telling you… the language barrier is the most, the biggest challenge’: Barriers to education among Karen refugee women in Australia. Australian Journal of Education, 56(2), 126-141. https://doi.org/10.1177/000494411205600203 

World Health Organization (WHO). (n.d). Social determinants of health. Available at: https://www.who.int/health-topics/social-determinants-of-health#tab=tab_1 [Accessed on: 7-October-2023] 

Unsplash. (2019). Matheus Ferrero. Available at: https://unsplash.com/photos/yfmjALh1S6s  [Accessed on: 9-October-2023] 

 | Illness | Treatment Option
| Hepatitis B virus (HBV) | If an individual’s HBsAg is positive, antiviral medications, such as tenofovir and entecavir, should be initiated to reduce the viral load (Lim et al., 2016).
| Malaria | If the test for Malaria is positive, patient should be admitted to the hospital and treatment with artemisinin-based combination therapy (Banek et al., 2014).
| Unimmunized or under-immunized status | Refugees or migrants are at significant risk of being unimmunized or under-immunized on arrival in Australia due to their refugee or forced migration experiences (VFST, 2023). Therefore, a comprehensive catch-up immunization program is needed to ensure their immunization level is equivalent to an Australian-born individual of the same age (VFST, 2023). 

 

Banek, K., Lalani, M., Staedke, S. G., & Chandramohan, D. (2014). Adherence to artemisinin-based combination therapy for the treatment of malaria: a systematic review of the evidence. Malaria journal, 13(1), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2875-13-7 

Lim, Y. S., Byun, K. S., Yoo, B. C., Kwon, S. Y., Kim, Y. J., An, J., ... & Lee, Y. S. (2016). Tenofovir monotherapy versus tenofovir and entecavir combination therapy in patients with entecavir-resistant chronic hepatitis B with multiple drug failure: results of a randomised trial. Gut, 65(5), 852-860. https://doi.org/10.1136/gutjnl-2014-308353 

Victorian Foundation for Survivors of Torture (VFST). (2023). Australian Refugee Health Practice Guide. Available at: https://refugeehealthguide.org.au/ [Accessed on: 9-October-2023]

Unsplash. (2020). Julie Ricard. Available at: https://unsplash.com/photos/MX0erXb3Mms [Accessed on: 9-October-2023]

Dance with me India. (n.d.). Know about Bhangra dance style. Available at: https://www.dancewithme.in/know-about-bhangra-dance-style/ [Accessed on: 9-October-2023]

In this enlightening video, Basics of Sikhi, which is an educational charity that works towards sharing the wisdom of Sikh Gurus, presents the Sikhi perspective on mental health challenges. 

National Research Council Panel on Neem. (1992). Neem: A Tree For Solving Global Problems. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 1992. 7, Medicinals. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK234637/ [Accessed on: 9-October-2023]

Unsplash. (2019). Madhav Malleda. Available at: https://unsplash.com/photos/L5aUutpdZ8Q [Accessed on: 9-October-2023]

The Spruce Eats. (2023). Sarson ka saag. Available at: https://www.thespruceeats.com/sarson-ka-saag-1957985 [Accessed on: 9-October-2023]

SikhDharma.org. (2018). Wahe guru trikuti mantra. Available at: https://www.sikhdharma.org/wahe-guru-trikuti-mantra/ [Accessed on: 9-October-2023]

In this above informative video, ‘Basics of Sikhi’ show us the essence of ‘Seva’- the heartfelt act of selfless service.