O perfil de saúde dos migrantes venezuelanos no Brasil

Abstract

Deteriorating economic conditions, the context of political crisis and the precariousness of health services explain the departure of 6 million Venezuelans. The flow of Venezuelans to countries such as Colombia, Peru and Brazil is considered the biggest exodus in the region's recent history. Studies are needed to assess the health status of this population, which is currently the main foreign community in Brazil. The objective of this study was to describe and analyze the general health status, use of health services and satisfaction with health among Venezuelan migrants in Brazil. This is a descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study, using an online, multidimensional self-administered questionnaire in Spanish composed of three parts: sociodemographic profile; migratory trajectory; and self-reported health. Venezuelans aged 18 and over and residing in Brazil participated. Convenience sampling was used. Data collection took place between October 2020 and May 2021. 318 Venezuelan migrants participated in the study, 65.09% (n=207) women and 34.91% (n=111) men, with an average age of 37 years (± 10.5). Most of the study population declared themselves as “moreno(a)” (52.83%), resided in the State of Roraima (19.81%) and requested temporary residence (34.74%). They declared that they were not satisfied or dissatisfied with their health (37.74%) and did not have diseases (70.75%). A small part had some medical (11.01%) and psychological treatment (3.14%). Most did not report physical (95.91%) or hearing impairment (95.96%) and almost a third (28.30%) reported having some visual impairment. The presence of diseases is related to migratory status, marital status, age and the presence of children. The use of health services is higher among women, and those who have been for longer in the country and among those who were working. Satisfaction with health decreases with age, but increases with income. And it is higher among those who have not suffered episodes of xenophobia. The domain of the Portuguese language is shown as a protective factor and increases satisfaction with health. The difficulty of response by the host countries, whether due to difficulties in access or the increase in demand for services, highlights the importance of health care. There is a predominance of chronic conditions, but also brings questions regarding mental and sexual health. It is an economically active population, which rarely seeks health services. The chronic conditions neglected by the economic and social context brings a convergence of factors highlighting the importance of epidemiological surveillance and prevention actions. The context of crisis and mobility highlights the forced nature of migration and exposes the difficulties of dealing with populations on the move, especially from the perspective of health. Coordinated actions are needed to promote health and in order to combat poverty, inequality and discrimination, guaranteeing the reception, integration and well-being of this population.