Strengthening pathways to high quality maternity care for migrant women in Europe: taking an equity lens

Outline of the overall workshop Compared to non-migrants, migrant women are less likely to have adequate information about maternity care, experience suboptimal communication with care staff, and are less involved in decisions about their care due to difficulties in understanding information, socio-cultural beliefs, and experiencing racism. Some migrant groups (i.e. forced migrants) are also at particularly high risk of poor perinatal outcomes including mental illness, morbidity, and mortality due to larger contextual factors including poverty and poor access to host country healthcare services. In recent years, there have been increasing efforts to improve maternity care for migrant and refugee women across Europe. However, evidence is sparse and strategies to strengthen maternity care pathways are limited. We will present research aimed at improving maternity care amongst migrant women across various European contexts, including Germany, the UK, and Denmark. We will consider how equity and co-production play an important role in improving these pathways. This will include a presentation from an Expert-by Experience (a forced migrant mother), and a panel discussion with audience participation. SPECIFIC AIMS AND COMPONENT PARTS Based on recent empirical evidence, including new findings from a European-wide systematic review, this workshop aims to critically discuss the best approaches to improve maternity care pathways (including mental health care provision) for migrant women in Europe. We will take an equity lens by focusing on co-creation, holistic approaches, and the impact of wider socio-economic, political, and structural factors. Component Parts The Pregnancy and Obstetric Care for Refugees research team, led by Prof. Theda Borde, will present new insights on different maternity care pathways amongst forced migrants in Germany, and the role that institutional ‘othering’ and socio-political factors play in shaping women’s experiences and mental health.Dr Kerrie Stevenson will present the preliminary results of a systematic review identifying effective interventions to improve maternity outcomes for migrant women in high-income countries. This review will also assess the use of co-production in intervention studies.Dr Shuby Puthussery will discuss the power of co-production in pathway development, based on findings from a community-based intervention to enhance antenatal care initiation and uptake in a low-income and ethnically diverse area in the UK.Dr Maria Marti Castaner will focus on the importance of holistic approaches to maternity care by presenting the qualitative findings of an evaluation of a nurse home visiting program for refugees in Denmark. In the discussion, panellists and the audience will consider the most effective and equitable ways to strengthen maternity care pathways for migrant women by reflecting on the evidence presented and experiences from the field. Key questions How does ‘othering’ impact maternity care pathways for forced migrant mothers and how it can be tackled?Which maternity care interventions are most effective in improving maternal health outcomes and equity for migrant women?What role can Experts by Experience play in co-producing maternity care interventions and improving pathways to maternity care?How can maternity care pathways strengthen their focus on prevention of perinatal mental health problems by addressing wider socioeconomic factors?