Original title: Discrimination in medical settings as perceived by forcibly displaced people within low- and middle-income countries: a scoping literature review
The review looks at research on how forcibly displaced peoplePeople who have had to leave their homes, rather than choosing to move. perceive discrimination when seeking healthcare in low- and middle-income countries. The researchers found 31 studies, most based on interviews or other qualitative methodsWays of studying people’s experiences through words, such as interviews, rather than mainly through numerical measurements.. Some surveys found that 10%–44% of refugees reported discrimination. The studies also described abuse, unequal care and costs, and effects on mental health and decisions to seek care. The review says more strong evidence is needed to guide policy.
Imagine joining a queue at a clinic in a place where you do not know the language or the rules. Staff may treat you unfairly, charge you differently, or make it harder to get care, and you may decide not to return. In this paper, that difficult clinic experience is what the studies describe, while the review gathers those accounts to show what is known and what still needs to be studied.
Discrimination can affect whether displaced people seek care and the quality of care they receive. The review points to health systems, staff understanding across cultures, and inclusive policies as places where respectful care can be strengthened.
The review covers peer-reviewed original studies found in PubMed and Web of Science from March 2010 to March 2025. Its 31 included studies leave significant research gaps, so the findings do not establish how common discrimination is across all forcibly displaced people or all low- and middle-income countries. The abstract does not report further limitations of the review.
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Discrimination in medical settings as perceived by forcibly displaced people within low- and middle-income countries: a scoping literature review — Kerstin M. Grosheintz-Laval, Patrick Kwizera, Mirko S. Winkler — Public health reviews — doi:10.3389/phrs.2026.1609595
Abstract licence: CC BY
Explanation generated by Synthesis from the abstract — it is not the original paper.