Exploring immigrants’ Health After Settling in Canada

Immigrants' health upon arrival is better than that of the population who were born in Canada due to the selection processes established by federal immigration policies. However, the immigrant health advantage gradually declines as immigrants adapt to the dominant culture and encounter social stress. Health Canada indicates it is responsible for maintaining and improving the health of the Canadian population so why is this an issue?

The population health promotion model can be used to understand this health concern. The population health promotion model (PHPM) is a model developed to understand the who, what, how, and why of an action that can be implemented on multiple levels across a society to create healthy change. In terms of the PHPM, social determinants of health dictate what has to be done, action strategies derived from the Ottawa Charter specify how to do it, and levels of action specify who needs to be involved. Immigrants' health deteriorates over time because they are less likely to have health insurance; this is because they work mostly in low-wage industries and jobs that do not offer employer-sponsored insurance. Lack of proper documentation and inability to pay for family doctor visits are also contributing factors to immigrants' declining health. Experts argue that there are a number of government regulations that limit immigrants’ access to public health insurance. 

I remember when I completed my post-secondary education after immigrating to Canada as an international student. I spent 8 months without health insurance because I did not meet the criteria for Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP). Fortunately, I was a physically active young man and did not encounter any health complications during that time; hence did not incur any financial constraints related to my health. Imagine the same situation, though, for a person who was physically or mentally unwell and did not have the financial liberty to purchase private health insurance during that time frame; the added pressure of maintaining a financially sustaining life by working low-wage jobs would certainly worsen their physical condition. 

I believe that the government can take initiative in this matter and help immigrants by developing favourable public policies that limit any obstacles to immigrants’ early access to effective healthcare. Although it will take some time, success is undoubtedly possible!