Special Report

Reporting Black America

Healthcare disparities hurts African immigrants

Amanda Lugg of African Services Committee. Photo Courtesy of African Services Commitee

Whenever African immigrants look for health care in the U.S., they have to face various difficulties arising from their status, along with with they say is racism.

Ada Oguejiofor, a third-year student at medical school who recently started clinical rotation in Texas, said that she noticed the health care disparities in the hospital that deterred undocumented immigrants from seeking medical care.

“I noticed that sometimes residents would say that their patients hesitate to come into the hospital because they are undocumented,” she said. “They might get caught.”

Nearly 25 percent of immigrants are undocumented, with women accounting for 47 percent and children accounting for 10 percent, according to ACOG. And 71 percent of undocumented immigrants are uninsured and not eligible for public health care.

Other key challenges of African immigrants’ access to the health care system range from a language barrier, inundation with excessive information and paperwork and hostile services experience, according to PubMed

Ify Ekpunobi, another medical student at Case Western Reserve School, has experienced some of these challenges when she visited a school hospital for a medical check in St. Louis. Ekpunobi recalled the hostile attitude of the staff, which she thought was because of her color.

“I didn’t really feel comfortable because it felt like they were being judgmental, like they just weren’t that welcoming to me, so that discouraged me,” said Ekpunobi. “I didn’t feel comfortable going back.”

Ekpunobi’s experience is also in line with the PubMed study which shows that even when immigrants do have insurance coverage, they still face difficulties utilizing the available healthcare services.

“Even though I have insurance, I still have to worry about which providers are in and out of the network,” said Ekpunobi. “Those are the things I had to learn and even up to now, I still even barely understand.”

Oguejiofor also mentioned that the lack of a diverse set of providers is one of the most urgent issues in healthcare settings.

“When you’re seeing a doctor who looks nothing like you who has no idea where you come from, your language, your culture, that can make getting good health care even harder,” said Oguejiofor. 

Recognizing these healthcare disparities, Ashafa Hadera, founded the African Services Committee (ASC) in 1981 to provide healthcare resources to other immigrants, refugees and asylees. Starting in a small apartment in the Bronx, today, ASC is based in Harlem, New York City, and has three offices in Ethiopia. ASC provides free services—including but not limited to English as a Second Language (ESL) classes, food pantry, AIDS treatments, HIV prevention programs, and Hepatitis programs—to the community.

Amanda Lugg, the current co-executive director of the organization who migrated from the U.K., said she was thrilled to find an organization that was serving African immigrants.

“No one is turned away. Anyone who walks through the door and needs services gets the services and all the services are free,” said Lugg. “I saw it as a positive way to be able to give back and serve my community.” 

Even when everything was in lockdown during the pandemic, ASC never ceased to help the community.

“For instance, I run the LGBTQ+ support group here, and it was just every two weeks in person, but once COVID hit, people wanted to do every week and we were doing it every week for a year,” she said.

ASC has also been working to help the undocumented immigrants, who make up the majority of immigrants utilizing their services.

“Something like 90 percent of the folks that we serve here are undocumented or out of status. That greatly affects their access to a number of things,” said Lugg. “So, having us helping them navigate that system is essential.”

Lugg said that watching individuals get better with the help of their programs. 

“Being able to see them living their life in power, it is extremely satisfying,” said Lugg. “Another good thing is when we actually don’t see people, when we don’t see people for six months a year because they’re now self-sufficient. That’s the picture of success really.”

 

Author


Other Stories in Special Report: Reporting Black America

Sonic Serenity: A review of the music that carried Black folks through 2021

Vanessa Handy December 16, 2021

Despite uptick in diversity numbers, Black students say inclusive spaces are rare

Sanya Khurana December 16, 2021

African students says mispronouncing their names is a form of racism

Eniola Oshiafi December 16, 2021

Young adult Black immigrants forge new lives and battle racial inequalities

Shawn Kang December 13, 2021

The Chaotic Birth of a Coffee Shop

Austin Barron December 12, 2021

Afrobeat musicians make strides

Kirill Bykanov December 11, 2021

Black photographer’s work reveals the power and beauty of Blackness

Austin Barron November 28, 2021

For young Indo-Caribbean adults, culture is complex and a source of pride

Vanessa Handy November 28, 2021

Challenges persist for Black women who seek degrees in STEM

George Papazov November 27, 2021

Black bookstore owner say last year’s surging sales was part of anti-racism movement

Eniola Oshiafi November 27, 2021

Choosing natural hair for children

Sanya Khurana November 26, 2021

A Black artist refuses labels

Monique Ezeh November 26, 2021

Some Black Parents are Choosing Afrocentric Preschools for their Children

Sanya Khurana November 12, 2021

The quest to diversify NYC’s specialized high schools 

Vanessa Handy November 11, 2021

African Women Migrating to Escape Oppression

Eniola Oshiafi November 8, 2021

Black New Yorkers Want Manhattan’s First Black District Attorney To Be ‘Tough’

Austin Barron November 3, 2021

The only woman of color in Nashua’s city council is reelected

Kirill Bykanov November 3, 2021

Black doulas are challenging rampant healthcare disparity

Sughnen Yongo-Okochi October 26, 2021

Interest in African art is growing

George Papazov October 15, 2021

Black queer community often at odds with police

Monique Ezeh October 14, 2021

Celebrating the Everyday Normalcy in Black Life

Austin Barron October 10, 2021

Liberation through imagination

Vanessa Handy October 10, 2021

Penfield’s Black Supermoms Make Sure School Kids know Black Kids Matter

Sanya Khurana October 8, 2021

Elizabeth Wellington on “Choosing Blackness”

Sughnen Yongo-Okochi September 20, 2021