By Philip Tengzu, GNA
Wa, (UW/R), Sept. 02, GNA – A study on the health-seeking behaviour among West African itinerant migrant traders in the Wa Municipality has recommended six policy actions to improve their access to healthcare.
These include National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) enrolment and renewal drives by the National Health Insurance Authority and Ghana Health Service, in partnership with community leaders and migrant associations targeting migrant workers in Ghana.
The study said the outreach should provide migrants with relevant information about NHIS registration, including eligibility, registration requirements, benefits and renewal procedures, and conditions of its use, among others.
Other policy recommendations are bringing malaria prevention education and testing closer to migrant trading communities and making medicine shops part of the solution to unsafe self-medication.
The rest are developing multilingual migrant-health information, using migrant associations and social networks as health partners, and reducing barriers to migrants’ healthcare access at public facilities.
The study was conducted by Professor Elijah Yendaw and Prof. Anthony Mwinilanaa Tampah-Naah of the University of Business and Integrated Development Studies (UBIDS) in the Wa Municipality, titled “Health-seeking behaviour and practices among immigrant retail traders in an urban setting in North-Western Ghana”.
It examined disease patterns, choice of health facilities, self-medication, use of home remedies, consultation with relatives and friends, and the influence of NHIS status on healthcare decisions.
The findings were communicated in a policy brief, “When Migrant Traders Fall Ill: Closing Ghana’s Health-Access, Insurance and Self-Medication Gaps in the Informal Economy.”
The study revealed that malaria was the commonly reported illness among the 122 migrant traders surveyed, accounting for about 65 per cent of reported disease episodes.
It also found that easy access to over-the-counter medicine shops influenced self-medication among the migrant traders.
The study therefore said: “The medicine shop should function as a gateway into appropriate care when professional assessment is needed, not as a substitute for diagnosis.”
It also called for migrant associations and social networks to be incorporated into health outreach because family members and friends played an important role in migrants’ treatment decisions.
It also proposed selecting migrant representatives to serve as health-information focal persons to communicate approved health messages, facilitate referrals, and link migrant communities with local health authorities.
The study also urged health authorities to identify and reduce barriers at government health facilities, including waiting times, registration procedures, language difficulties, and uncertainty about payment.
It observed that these recommendations would encourage itinerant migrants to report early to health facilities to seek healthcare.
According to the study, 74 of the 122 respondents, representing about 61 per cent, did not possess active NHIS cards, while NHIS status significantly influenced their choice of health facilities.
It found that migrants without NHIS cards are less likely to use government health facilities, while those who preferred such facilities cited their belief in accessing quality services.
However, some respondents also preferred private facilities due to perceived shorter waiting times and more convenient services
GNA
Edited by George-Ramsey Benamba
Reporter: Philip Tengzu, GNA
[email protected]