The Maternity Situation and COVID-19: Adaptation of Migrant Women to the World’s Southernmost Health System

Over the last 30 years, Chile transitioned from an emigration country to a prime destination for South-South migration, particularly women from “fragile” states like Venezuela, Haiti, and Colombia. Its post-1990 political stability, economic growth, and human rights commitments have attracted these migrants. This chapter focuses on migrant mothers in Chile’s chilly Magallanes Region. Facing challenges from adapting to colder climates, traumatic migration experiences, and isolation, these women also grapple with navigating the unfamiliar Chilean health system. Mental health issues, amplified by severe weather conditions and past traumas, are significant. Utilizing a cross-sectional descriptive design, the research combined face-to-face and virtual focus groups, inclusive of 45 mothers and interviews with six health officials. The main data collection tools were focus groups, followed by structured content analysis to identify patterns and themes regarding health service access barriers. Their children confront issues from cultural adaptation to bullying. The advent of COVID-19 added complexity to their healthcare access struggles, leading to potential misconceptions about Chile’s health policies. With many migrant women seeking hospital care for childbirth, there is a pressing need for tailored health services for these vulnerable individuals in the Magallanes region.