Intercultural interpreters' perspectives on the provision of sexual and reproductive healthcare to Eritrean and Somali forced immigrant women in Switzerland: a qualitative exploration.

Authors

Nejimu Biza Zepro, Rahel Milena Erhardt, Charles Abongomera, Daniel H Paris, Julia Bohlius, Afona Chernet, Sonja Merten

Published in

BMJ open. Volume 16. Issue 9. Pages e118257. Sep 11, 2026. Epub Sep 11, 2026.

Abstract

This study aimed to explore and synthesise interpreters' perspectives on the provision of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) care to Eritrean and Somali migrant women in Switzerland, and to identify and analyse the professional and ethical challenges they encounter in this context.
An exploratory qualitative study from a social constructionist perspective. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, categorised and analysed through thematic analysis.
The study was conducted in the canton of Basel-Stadt, northwestern Switzerland. We have purposively selected 10 Eritrean and Somali intercultural interpreters serving as crucial intermediaries in assisting immigrant women to access SRH services.
Our analysis of the interpreters' perspectives revealed three key thematic areas that they identified as central challenges for their Eritrean and Somali immigrant women: (1) perceived limited health literacy among patients, (2) sociocultural barriers that interpreters observed hindering patient provider communication and (3) structural difficulties that interpreters reported their patients faced in navigating the Swiss healthcare system. These challenges have now persisted for a long time, and research findings and recommendations do not appear to have changed practices. For example, while abortion services are fully covered by Swiss health insurance, contraceptive methods often require out-of-pocket payments. This financial disparity may discourage appropriate use of SRH services among immigrant women. The lack of culturally competent care and the limited availability of funding for intercultural interpreters were among important bottlenecks identified.
This study explored interpreters' perspectives on the provision of SRH care to Eritrean and Somali immigrant women in Switzerland. Despite the outstanding Swiss healthcare system, a majority of Eritrean and Somali refugee women struggle to benefit from SRH services due to limited health literacy, language barriers and challenges in navigating the Swiss healthcare system. Partnerships and integration of community entities, such as the Swisso-Kalmo association for Somali women and different Eritrean communities, could contribute via facilitating entry points for access to SRH healthcare.

PMID:
42731836
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 13 Sep 2026.

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