How African migrants in China cope with barriers to health care
Authors: Adams Bodomo, Andrian Liem, Lavinia Lin, Brian J Hall
Journal: The Lancet Public Health (2020)

Despite public health being a top priority of the China-Africa cooperation,1Gao GF Nkengasong JN Public health priorities for China-Africa cooperation.Lancet Public Health. 2019; 4: e177-e178Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (9) Google Scholar approximately half a million African migrants in China continue to have restricted access to local health services because of a combination of considerable social and structural barriers to health care.2Hall BJ Chen W Latkin C Ling L Tucker JD Africans in south China face social and health barriers.Lancet. 2014; 383: 1291-1292Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (30) Google Scholar Their quality of life and wellbeing were also affected by racial discrimination and visa policy restrictions.2Hall BJ Chen W Latkin C Ling L Tucker JD Africans in south China face social and health barriers.Lancet. 2014; 383: 1291-1292Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (30) Google Scholar, 3Lin L Brown KB Yu F et al.Health care experiences and perceived barriers to health care access: a qualitative study among African migrants in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China.J Immigr Minor Health. 2015; 17: 1509-1517Crossref PubMed Scopus (29) Google Scholar In view of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic, African migrants residing in Wuhan, Hubei province—the epicenter of the outbreak—might be more worried than ever.4Anna C Meseret E 'Like I'm trapped': Africans in China lockdown see no escape. AP, News.https://apnews.com/fc178264c9eda573efd47d6078f7c22aDate: Jan 28, 2020Date accessed: February 20, 2020Google Scholar According to AllAfrica, almost 5000 African students in Wuhan are lacking cash and food products during the current quarantine-lockdown period.5Hermann C Africans in Wuhan - homesick and fearful of coronavirus. AllAfrica.https://allafrica.com/stories/202002070020.htmlDate: Feb 6, 2020Date accessed: February 20, 2020Google Scholar However, the power of community might prove to be crucial durign this epidemic. In particular, through strategic community-led initiatives aimed at safeguarding the health of their own community.6Bodomo A The bridge is not burning down: transformation and resilience within China's African diaspora communities.Afr Stud Q. 2018; 17: 63-84Google Scholar Community unity is the primary strategy in coping with barriers to health care—eg, the Ghanaian community in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, made monetary donations and arranged health care for their community. African community organisations also compile and manage information about visits of health-care providers from Africa for their members and encourage these visiting specialists to informally consult on a voluntary basis.7Bodomo A Africans in China: a sociocultural study and its implications for Africa-China relations. Cambria Press, Amherst, NY2012Google Scholar Visiting Africans are often asked to bring medicines and test kits for self-diagnosis when they travel to China. Family elders and religious leaders have a major role as health-care providers for both adult and adolescent members of the African community. This community unity is crucial in the current climate marked with an atmosphere of racial discrimination, police intimidation, and other aspects of social exclusion and harassment that Africans might face in China.2Hall BJ Chen W Latkin C Ling L Tucker JD Africans in south China face social and health barriers.Lancet. 2014; 383: 1291-1292Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (30) Google Scholar Despite the powerful community coping strategy of African migrants in China, their social and structural barriers to health care should be taken into consideration in implementing Africa–China health cooperation plans,1Gao GF Nkengasong JN Public health priorities for China-Africa cooperation.Lancet Public Health. 2019; 4: e177-e178Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (9) Google Scholar particularly during the current outbreak of COVID-19. We declare no competing interests. Public health priorities for China–Africa cooperationIn September, 2018, the heads of State from 53 African countries and world dignitaries gathered in Beijing (China) for the seventh triennial Summit of the Forum on China–Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). The outcome of the Summit was the adoption of the FOCAC Beijing Action Plan (2019–21) focusing on the implementation of eight major initiatives to strengthen the cooperation between China and Africa. Some of the initiatives included industrial, trade, and cultural promotion, with public health ranking as a top priority for the China–Africa health cooperation plans. Full-Text PDF Open Access