Health Conditions of Haitian Immigrants in Mato Grosso, Brazil: Is Their Right to Health Care at Stake?

Free and universal health care is a constitutional mandate in Brazil, regardless of nationality, provided by the Brazilian Unified Health Systems (SUS). We aimed at describing health conditions of Haitians immigrants, their search for health care, the frequency of perceived chronic diseases and prevalence of high blood pressure. We conducted a cross-sectional study using a probabilistic sample of Haitians in Cuiabá, capital of the state of Mato Grosso. We collected data from January to February 2015. To calculate the size of the sample, we used as reference the 1,000 Haitians who first received care by the Pastoral Center for Migrants of Cuiabá, from November 2012 to June 2014. Our sample is composed of 450 individuals. Only 1.3% refused to answer the survey. Of 444 Haitians interviewed only 16.9% were females. We will present the socio-demographic profile and self-assessment of health before and after migration. Our survey included questions on preexisting conditions, usage of prescription drugs, self-medication, utilization of health care services (i.e. emergence room, hospitals, or primary care, type of health care provider (public or private), access to dental care, and vaccination. We conclude that the Brazilian SUS is facing challenges in delivering services to this population.