Migrant Clinicians Network's white paper, “Failures of US Health Care System for Pregnant Asylum Seekers,” outlines how pregnant asylum seekers who have been released into the US to await their asylum hearing face extreme obstacles to secure prenatal care, despite their legal presence within the country.

Without prenatal care, infants will not have the benefit of early screening and treatment for potentially life-threatening diseases and screening for congenital abnormalities, while in utero. Additionally, pregnancies without prenatal care may result in excess utilization of emergency services which produces unforeseen strain on the health care system.

Knowledge of prenatal care needs, cost, lack of insurance, transportation, refusal by health centers, and fear are delineated as key barriers for pregnant asylum seekers from accessing the care they need during their pregnancy.

Press contact: Claire Hutkins Seda, cseda@migrantclinician.org. 

Among the many obligations health care providers have to their patients, their families and life in general, they forget to put themselves on the priority list. This comic book dedicated to health care providers reminds them how important it is to take care of themselves to meet the needs of their patients and families. It also offers simple self-care steps to improve overall wellness.

These image-centric, editable vaccine resources in multiple languages help you reach refugee, immigrant, and migrant communities with important information regarding getting a vaccine as well as safety measures to take after being vaccinated. These colorful flyers, in English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole, offer a Maryland, Virginia, and Delaware-specific option to choose from or editable versions for users to insert their own state-specific information such as their state vaccine logo, vaccine sign-up website and phone number, and organization logo. Along with these fliers, MCN has created a simple ‘how-to’ video (see above) for editing the fliers. The original designs for this new resource were created by a staff member of East Coast Migrant Head Start Project who is the daughter of a farmworker, and who had once gone to East Coast Migrant Head Start Project centers herself. The flyers were then adapted by MCN.