Jasmine and Robert
came to Canada on July 12 of 2011 as refugee claimants. Their older son Paul is
twelve years old and Jasmine is pregnant again. When they arrived in
Canada, they felt good, because they were safe and they had all that they
needed: They received help for food and shelter from Ontario Works and
healthcare free from the government. However, on May of 2012, they received a
letter where the government told to them that since June 30 of 2012, the
Interim Federal Health (IFH) would change. They did not know what
kind of changes could happen, it was only when Jasmine tried to book an
appointment with the family doctor for her son that she realized how things had changed. The secretary told to her that she could not book an
appointment for refugee or refugee claimant because the law had changed. With
the new information, Jasmine was worried and tried to get an appointment with
her gynaecologist but again the secretary told Jasmine that she could not book
an appointment, for the same reason that
the family doctor´s secretary had told to her. Jasmine and Robert
are really worried. Their son has a sugar problems and if he does not receive
medical treatment on time, later he may develop Diabetes.
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BASIC INFORMATION
The (IFH) Interim
Federal Health program provides access to refugees and refugee claimants who
need healthcare for a period of time, and who generally have no other way of
obtaining necessary health benefits.
On April 25th,
2012 the Federal government announced cuts to most healthcare benefits for
refugees that are currently provided by Canada’s Interim Federal Health (IFH)
program, effective on June 30, 2012.
The
changes to the IFH program include cutting access to essential medication, cuts
to basic primary health care, cuts to dental care, vision care and cuts to mobility devices like wheelchairs, for many classes of
refugees. Healthcare services to be cut include prenatal care, child
health check-ups and access to mental health care. Most refugees are now only entitled to basic emergency care - they are not entitled to medication or vaccines unless their condition is deemed to pose a threat
to public health.
IMPLICATIONS FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH
These cuts to the IFH program will leave some of Canada’s most vulnerable
children and youth without access to primary and preventive health care. Many
will have experienced horrific trauma and persecution and their families
endured great hardship to come to our safe country. In some cases, these
children may be without health insurance for many years. Certain refugee
claimants in Canada will even be denied coverage for emergency health services.
These changes will not only gravely impact the short- and long-term health of
refugees living in Canada but also result in increased financial, health and
societal costs to the Canadian public as a whole. The changes to IFH contravene
the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, and
will also deny what is deemed a fundamental right to Canadian society; access to
basic health care.
How will the changes impact the immediate and long
term health of children and youth?
First of all, how
will the changes impact the immediate health of children and youth? Ending
coverage for basic health care will result in no access to care for the
diagnosis and treatment of common illnesses including infections.[1] Chronic medical conditions
that are routinely present in early childhood such as asthma and inflammatory
bowel diseases may be diagnosed late, or not at all. Early intervention for
these conditions prevents hospitalizations and maintains good health, whereas delays
may result in serious consequences.
In addition, there will be no ability to diagnose and manage mental health conditions which are known to affect child refugees at higher rates due to trauma related to the refugee experience. Also, cuts means that children and youth do not have access of the preventive health screening, which will result in a failure to diagnose problems such as developmental delays, vision and hearing disabilities all of which require early intervention. Finally, lack of coverage for prenatal and obstetrical care, including deliveries, will most certainly lead to preventable perinatal morbidities. These could include increased rates of prematurity, low birth weight, uncontrolled gestational diabetes, brain damage, or worst neonatal deaths.
In addition, there will be no ability to diagnose and manage mental health conditions which are known to affect child refugees at higher rates due to trauma related to the refugee experience. Also, cuts means that children and youth do not have access of the preventive health screening, which will result in a failure to diagnose problems such as developmental delays, vision and hearing disabilities all of which require early intervention. Finally, lack of coverage for prenatal and obstetrical care, including deliveries, will most certainly lead to preventable perinatal morbidities. These could include increased rates of prematurity, low birth weight, uncontrolled gestational diabetes, brain damage, or worst neonatal deaths.
Secondly, how
will the changes impact the long-term health and productivity of children and
youth? Given the proven link between primary health care in the early years and
later adult health, the IFH changes will definitely affect the overall health
and well-being of these children and youth. Children’s health and
well-being also declines if parents have uncontrolled chronic medical or
psychiatric conditions: If parents are ill, they may not be capable of
optimally parenting and caring for their children. The long-term medical and
developmental problems resulting from lack of prenatal and obstetrical care
will lead to otherwise avoidable costs to the health and social systems.[2]
How do the changes contravene Canadian and
international conventions?
One of the
basic tenets of Canadian society has been and remains universal access to
health care. The primary objective of the Canada Health Act is “to protect, promote and restore the
physical and mental well-being of residents of Canada and to facilitate
reasonable access to health services without financial or other barriers.”[3]
The proposed changes to the IFH program will effectively deny this tenet to
some of the most vulnerable children and youth living in our country. This is
despite a previous praise Canada's refugee system received from the UN High Commission for Refugees citing Canada’s “willingness to accept a range of refugees, including urgent
protection cases and those with high medical needs, as a strength of the
system.”
As a signatory to the UN
Convention on the Rights of the Child, Canada has agreed that all children and
specifically children living in Canada have the basic rights to life, survival
and development of their full potential. Article 24 emphasizes “the right of the child to the enjoyment of
the highest attain able standard of health” and to have access to
facilities for the treatment of illness and rehabilitation of health. It states
that “signing parties shall take appropriate measures to ensure the provision
of necessary medical assistance and health care to all children with emphasis on the development of primary health."
For more information visit:
[1] Citizenship and Immigration Canada. Refugees: Health Care http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/refugees/outside/summary-ifhp.asp
[2] Public Health Agency of Canada, 2006. Chapter 24: Well-baby care in the fi
13. rst 2 years of life (Pediatric
Preventive Care), in The Canadian Guide to Clinical Preventive Health Care:
www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/publicat/clinic-clinique/pdf/s2c24e.pdf
This post was written by JFCY PLE Team volunteer Lina Maria Sanchez. The views and explanation of the IFH cuts are those of Lina Maria and not JFCY
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