Health Issues of Immigrants: Implications for urban health

One of the largest migration of population in nations across the world occurs from rural to urban areas. The “push” and “pull” factors for such large scale movement of people from one geographic area to another within nations are well known. However, the impact of such movement on the health status of immigrants, their access to health care, and utilization of available services is very varied in different nations. It is, however, clear that most of the migration is unplanned and imposes additional pressure on the services available in urban areas. Recent immigrants often do not have the same ability to access and utilize health care services due to a variety of reasons.

This paper, through an empirical analysis of existing data, will identify the challenges faced by recent immigrants in accessing and utilizing health care services in urban areas. The policy implications of these findings will be addressed. Best practices in health planning in urban settings that proactively and inclusively meet the health needs of recent immigrants from rural areas will be highlighted.