Posted: April 30th, 2022

Human Trafficking: Healthcare and Globalization Aspects

Human Trafficking: Healthcare and Globalization Aspects

Human trafficking is a serious human rights violation that affects millions of people worldwide. It involves the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of persons by means of threat, force, coercion, fraud or deception for the purpose of exploitation (United Nations, 2000). Exploitation can include sexual exploitation, forced labor, slavery, servitude, organ removal or other forms of abuse. Human trafficking is a complex phenomenon that is influenced by various factors, such as poverty, inequality, conflict, migration, demand and supply, corruption and globalization.

Globalization is the process of increasing interdependence and integration among countries, regions and people in terms of economic, political, social and cultural aspects. Globalization has both positive and negative impacts on human trafficking. On one hand, globalization can create opportunities for development, education, employment and empowerment for vulnerable groups, especially women and children. It can also facilitate the cooperation and coordination among governments, civil society and international organizations to combat human trafficking and protect the rights of victims. On the other hand, globalization can also increase the risks and challenges of human trafficking. It can create more demand for cheap labor and sexual services in destination countries, and more supply of potential victims in source countries. It can also enable the mobility and connectivity of traffickers and victims across borders, and make it harder to detect and prosecute them. Moreover, globalization can undermine the social and cultural norms and values that protect human dignity and prevent exploitation.

Healthcare is an essential human right that is often denied to victims of human trafficking. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), health is “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity” (WHO, 1948). However, victims of human trafficking often suffer from various physical and mental health problems due to the abuse and violence they endure. Some of the common health issues include injuries, infections, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), HIV/AIDS, unwanted pregnancies, abortions, malnutrition, substance abuse, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts (Zimmerman et al., 2006). These health problems not only affect the well-being and quality of life of victims, but also pose a public health threat to the wider society.

Therefore, it is imperative to provide adequate and accessible healthcare services to victims of human trafficking. Healthcare providers play a crucial role in identifying, assisting and referring victims to appropriate support services. They can also offer medical treatment, counseling, testing, prevention and education to victims. However, there are many barriers and challenges that prevent healthcare providers from effectively addressing the health needs of victims. Some of these barriers include lack of awareness and training on human trafficking issues, lack of protocols and guidelines on how to identify and assist victims, lack of resources and facilities to provide quality care, lack of trust and communication between victims and providers, fear of reprisal from traffickers or authorities, stigma and discrimination against victims, legal and ethical dilemmas on how to protect the rights and confidentiality of victims (Ottisova et al., 2016).

To overcome these barriers and challenges, healthcare providers need to adopt a holistic and multidisciplinary approach to human trafficking. They need to collaborate with other stakeholders such as law enforcement agencies, social workers,
lawyers, NGOs and international organizations to ensure the safety and well-being of victims. They also need to receive adequate training on how to recognize the signs and indicators of human trafficking, how to communicate sensitively and respectfully with victims,
how to provide trauma-informed care that respects the autonomy and dignity of victims,
how to refer victims to appropriate support services that meet their needs,
and how to document and report cases of human trafficking (Hemmings et al., 2016).

In conclusion,
human trafficking is a grave violation of human rights that affects millions of people worldwide.
It is influenced by various factors,
including globalization,
which can have both positive
and negative impacts on human trafficking.
Healthcare is an essential right that is often denied to victims of human trafficking, who suffer from various physical and mental health problems.
Healthcare providers play a crucial role in identifying, assisting
and referring victims
to appropriate support services.
They also face many barriers and challenges write my masters thesis that prevent them from effectively addressing the health needs of victims.
To overcome these barriers
and challenges,
healthcare providers need to adopt a holistic
and multidisciplinary approach
to human trafficking,
and collaborate with other stakeholders
to ensure the safety
and well-being
of victims.

References

Hemmings S., Jakobowitz S., Abas M., Bick D., Howard L.M., Stanley N., Zimmerman C., Oram S. (2016). Responding to the health needs of survivors of human trafficking: A systematic review. BMC Health Services Research 16:320.

Ottisova L., Hemmings S., Howard L.M., Zimmerman C., Oram S. (2016). Prevalence and risk of violence and the mental, physical and sexual health problems associated with human trafficking: An updated systematic review. Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences 25:317-341.

United Nations. (2000). Protocol to prevent, suppress and punish trafficking in persons, especially women and children, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime. Retrieved from https://www.unodc.org/documents/treaties/UNTOC/Publications/TOC%20Convention/TOCebook-e.pdf

World Health Organization. (1948). Constitution of the World Health Organization. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/about/who-we-are/constitution

Zimmerman C., Hossain M., Yun K., Roche B., Morison L., Watts C. (2006). Stolen smiles: A summary report on the physical and psychological health consequences of women and adolescents trafficked in Europe. Retrieved from https://www.lshtm.ac.uk/sites/default/files/StolenSmiles.pdf

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