Mental Health Services, Health Service Executive, Community Healthcare West, Galway, Ireland.
Mental Health Services, Health Service Executive, Community Healthcare Midlands Louth Meath, St Lomans Hospital, Mullingar, Ireland.
Glob Health Promot. 2021 Jun;28(2):46-55. doi: 10.1177/1757975921994075. Epub 2021 Mar 3.
Irish Travellers and Roma are two ethnic minorities experiencing high levels of health inequities. These communities are at greater risk of developing COVID-19 and of suffering more severe symptoms due to poor living environments and higher rates of comorbidities. This study explores the strategies adopted by community-health partnerships and NGOs to minimise the potential widening of Travellers' and Roma's health inequities during the initial response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Ireland. A descriptive qualitative approach was employed to provide a detailed account of three different community and partnership-led responses. Data were gathered from multiple sources and through first-hand participation in the COVID-19 responses. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. This study found that the main pandemic mitigation interventions implemented were public health measures, culturally sensitive communications, lobbying for policy change and economic and social support. These interventions, supported by the health promotion strategies of partnership, advocacy and empowerment, have proven to be extremely important to reduce potential inequities in exposure to the virus and in access to healthcare. The findings suggest that community-health partnerships between minority groups' organizations and healthcare professionals represent a viable approach to mitigate the disproportionate effects of a pandemic on Travellers and Roma.
爱尔兰旅行者和罗姆人是两个少数民族，他们经历着严重的健康不平等。由于生活环境恶劣和合并症发病率较高，这些社区面临着更大的感染 COVID-19 和出现更严重症状的风险。本研究探讨了社区卫生伙伴关系和非政府组织在应对爱尔兰 COVID-19 大流行初始阶段时所采取的策略，以尽量减少旅行者和罗姆人健康不平等状况的潜在扩大。本研究采用描述性定性方法，详细描述了三种不同的社区和伙伴关系主导的应对措施。数据来自多种来源，并通过亲身参与 COVID-19 应对措施收集。采用主题分析方法对数据进行分析。本研究发现，实施的主要大流行缓解干预措施是公共卫生措施、文化敏感的沟通、游说政策改变以及经济和社会支持。这些干预措施得到了伙伴关系、宣传和赋权的健康促进策略的支持，事实证明，这些干预措施对于减少接触病毒和获得医疗保健方面的潜在不平等非常重要。研究结果表明，少数族裔组织和医疗保健专业人员之间的社区卫生伙伴关系是减轻大流行对旅行者和罗姆人不成比例影响的可行方法。
