With a focus on the region's large and diverse refugee population, a summit was held Thursday to address the challenges new residents face accessing healthcare. It was hosted by UB's School of Public Health and Health Professions.
The school's Director of Global Health Initiatives, Pavani Ram, said there are more barriers to healthcare than language differences.
"It could be gender. It could be perceptions of western...medicine as opposed to some of the traditional medical systems that folks are used to in their home environments. Or in the camps where they were before coming to Buffalo," Ram said.
Along with discussing ways to improve access to healthcare, participants had the chance to review a new online platform to better share and coordinate healthcare resources for refugees.
Demand is expected to keep growing given the thousands of refugees that have settled in the area in recent years.