Alnuaimi- Healthcare Access for Syrian Refugees and the Jordanian Host Community in Ramtha and the Houran Plain, Jordan: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Jordan hosts over 650,000 Syrian refugees: eighty percent of whom live outside of camps among the host population. Since 2011, the arrival of the refugees doubled the population of Northern Jordan. This influx strained the healthcare infrastructure and increased the economic vulnerability of the host population, causing tension which eventually led the government to institute a system of healthcare fees upon the refugees living outside camp. This qualitative study examines the barriers to accessing healthcare faced by both Syrian refugee and Jordanian citizen populations in the area through family and individual interviews that explore the coping strategies used to bypass the barriers. The results and discussion highlight the multitude of barriers to accessing healthcare faced by both the Syrian refugees and the host community. It also explores the role of social networks in accessing healthcare and the impact of the coping strategies that allow access on the society in Northern Jordan’s vulnerable population.