Features
Ghanaian migrants and health surveys in Finland
A few weeks ago, I wrote about cancer awareness among Ghanaian migrants in Finland. The piece was a move away from my usual focus on personalities or groups and their accomplishments within the Ghanaian community in Finland.
Today, I focus again on a health issue because I recently chanced on a report about a study to be conducted soon to test the health of individuals in Finland.
The story said that the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) will soon (this autumn/August-October) invite 64,000 adults to participate in an extensive survey on health, welfare and service experiences (see https://thl.fi/).
Immediately when I saw that report, my mind went to questions about the participation of immigrants, Ghanaian/African migrants in particular.
The Finnish health system and health surveys
Finland has a very good healthcare delivery system which is accessible to all residents in the country.
According to the report, the THL will be studying the well-being of adults living in Finland and their experiences of health and social services.
The report said the extensive Healthy Finland Survey is carried out every two years.
The invitation to the survey will be sent to 64,000 randomly selected people aged 20 or over from around Finland this autumn.
The survey collects up-to-date information on the health status of adults living in Finland as well as their lifestyles, quality of life, functional capacity, and experiences of social and health services.
Many migrants, including those in the Ghanaian community, are aware of health opportunities in Finland and are expected to take advantage of such prospects.
When I saw the report, the question that kept coming to my mind was how Ghanaian migrants could become aware of such a survey and participate in it. I hope they will be lucky enough to fall within those randomly selected. I urge those selected to take the survey seriously and participate actively.
A healthy migrant community
A healthy migrant community is important and beneficial to the host society as a whole. As I have said previously, in Finland public agencies, migrant associations and other non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have been giving health information through various channels— webinars, mass media (radio, TV, as well as the new media and others), etc. Such actions are very helpful to people.
Indeed the social media outlets have become an important means for disseminating information and would be a key medium through which migrant groups or associations and other institutions could educate people.
Generally, migrant associations create awareness among their members and other migrants, usually in collaboration with some Finnish institutions, and are thus an important tool for several migrants to be positively active and to get their interest and concerns heard.
As I wrote previously, the role of migrant associations acting as bridge-builders for the integration and inclusion of migrants through participation in the decision making process and by acting as a representative voice is highly appreciated in Finland.
A positive outlook
Ghanaian and other African migrants in Finland are generally keeping a positive mind and hoping for the best in life.
They know that the Finnish healthcare system, one of the best in the world, has a comprehensive healthcare service that caters for every resident in the country.
I hope this trust in the Finnish health system by arguably many migrants can be translated into the migrants seeing the need to participate actively in surveys to help improve immigrants’ health statuses.
Migrants know that as residents they can count on and readily access good healthcare service delivery in Finland. All they need to do is to go for regular medical checks and participate in such health surveys so that their health statuses can be known and action taken without delay if there is any problem that is identified. Thank you!
GHANA MATTERS COLUMN
With Dr Perpetual Crentsil