Abstract
This thesis explores the experiences of people from Afghan refugee backgrounds accessing primary healthcare within Christchurch, New Zealand. As primary healthcare is usually the first point of contact with New Zealand’s health system, and New Zealand has resettled over 1,500 people from Afghanistan since July 2021, there is a need to understand how people from Afghan refugee backgrounds navigate and engage with primary healthcare. This research discusses the experiences of people from Afghan refugee backgrounds within the General Practice environment, including their engagement with clinic staff, integration of collectivism and navigation of identity-related discourses. There is a strengths-based approach to this qualitative research, involving semi-structured interviews and a recognition of the multiple capacities and capabilities that people from refugee backgrounds bring to the primary healthcare environment. The results highlight how experiences within primary healthcare are influenced by discourses surrounding belonging, power and agency, highlighting the importance of clinic staff, interpreters and community in supporting access to and navigation of the primary healthcare environment. The thesis concludes with recommendations for changes to the structures of General Practice in New Zealand to better support the needs of people from Afghan refugee backgrounds, emphasising the importance of developing culturally competent General Practice staff, structuring appointment time and engaging formal interpreters within consultations. Understanding Afghan refugee experiences of General Practice navigation and engagement is valuable for a broader comprehension of how New Zealand’s primary healthcare system upholds equity and the right to health.