Longitudinal health survey of women from Venezuela in Colombia (ELSA-VENCOL): first report

Abstract

Background: Colombia is currently the world main recipient country for Venezuelan migrants, and women represent a high proportion of them. This article presents the first report of a cohort of Venezuelan migrant women entering Colombia through Cucuta and its metropolitan area (the main land entry point to this country). The study aimed to describe the health status and access to healthcare services among Venezuelan migrant women in Colombia with irregular migration status, and to analyze changes in those conditions at a one-month follow-up. Methods: A longitudinal cohort study of Venezuelan migrant women, 18 to 45 years, who entered Colombia with an irregular migration status, was carried out in 2021. Study participants were recruited in temporary shelters, transit points, and migrant settlements in Cucuta and the metropolitan area. At baseline, we administered a structured questionnaire including sociodemographic characteristics, migration history, health history, access to health services, sexual and reproductive health, practice of early detection of cervical cancer and breast cancer, food insecurity, and depressive symptoms. The women were again contacted by phone one month later, between March and July 2021, and a second questionnaire was applied. Results: A total of 2,298 women were included in the baseline measurement and 56.4% could be contacted again at the one-month follow- up. A significant increase was found in the percentage of women who had a health problem during the past month (from 23.1% to 31.4%; p<0.01). Meanwhile, the percentage of women with depressive symptoms decreased from 80.5% to 71.2% (p<0.01). Conclusion: This report is a starting point for the longitudinal follow-up of the cohort, which will allow us to better understand how the health status of Venezuelan women changes during the migration flow in Colombia

Transplantation in the Context of Migration and Refugees: A Summary of the DICG and TTS Ethics Committee Workshop, Buenos Aires, Argentina, September 2022

“…Although legal migrants can be followed easily, there are significant barriers to following the illegal migrants who move between different regions within Colombia and even to other countries. [18][19][20] Although only legal residents have access to deceased donor transplants, dialysis, and full health services to all migrants are provided on a regular basis.…”