Health Matters

Recent research shows the health of immigrants often declines after their arrival in Canada.  Several factors contribute to this.  

• Social Isolation: Many newly-arrived immigrant women are separated from there traditional support networks.  Isolation prevents many from accessing health information through informal traditional social networks, making them more vulnerable to health problems.
  

• Employment-Related Stress: Health Canada lists income, employment and working conditions as key determinants of health.  High stress levels associated with low incomes as well as unemployment and underemployment can have a significantly negative impact on health and often results in reduced life expectancy.

• Challenges Accessing Healthcare: A 2005 study of Hamilton’s health services revealed that most of the city’s health services are located in the downtown core, while many immigrants are increasingly settling in smaller, suburban areas.  When immigrant women try to access these services, they may struggle with language barriers, racial and ethnic discrimination and a different understanding of healthcare and healing.  

Did You Know?

• Women are more likely to suffer depression, or stress overload, often due to efforts to balance work and family life.

• 3 in 10 immigrant women live below Canada’s low income cut-off.

• Women are the most frequent users of health care for many reasons: reproductive issues, their role as paid and unpaid caregivers and longer lifespan.

• Violence is a major cause of injury to women ranging from cuts and bruises to permanent disability or death.

• Immigrants in Hamilton  are approximately twice as likely to report fair or poor health (22.1%) compared to the total population (11.8%).   

What is IWC Doing?

•  IWC Front Line Staff offer personalized, confidential assistance to each woman and are familiar with other specialized services in the community.
  

• IWC’s Immigrant Settlement and Adaptation Program (ISAP) provides orientation to the community, health care and housing in Hamilton. Newcomer families work one on one with front line staff on completing forms and interpretation.
  

• IWC provides Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) combining settlement and integration information as well as language instruction in three separate locations in Hamilton. It is often in these educational settings that the social networks of newcomers to Canada are first initiated.
  

• IWC programs offer opportunities for social support and networking to help combat isolation.
  

• IWC provides a multitude of other related services. Please see our Programs and Services (Link to Programs and Services) section for more details.

Further Reading: