The World Health Organization (WHO) reports a major shift in how countries respond to the health needs of refugees and migrants, with new data showing that more than 60 countries, or two-thirds of the countries surveyed, now include refugees and migrants in their national health policies and laws.
The report is based on data from 93 Member States and establishes the first global baseline for tracking progress towards inclusive and migrant-friendly health systems.
Human migration is a feature of our shared history and drives cultural, social and economic development across generations. Today, more than one billion people, or more than one in eight people, live as refugees or migrants around the world.
Reasons for migration range from conflict and disaster to economic opportunity, education and family needs. However, many refugees and migrants face barriers to accessing care, increased risk of infectious and chronic diseases, mental health issues, and unsafe living and working conditions.
Refugees and migrants are not only recipients of care, but also health workers, caregivers, and community leaders. A health system can only be truly universal if it serves everyone. A new WHO report on the health of migrants and refugees shows that inclusion benefits societies as a whole, making them better prepared for future health challenges. ”
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization
Investing in the health of refugees and migrants has far-reaching benefits. These will support better social and economic integration, strengthen the resilience of health systems and strengthen global health security. Inclusive and immigrant-friendly health systems also reduce long-term costs by ensuring healthy, well-integrated populations can fully contribute to the societies in which they live.
The new Global Report on Promoting the Health of Refugees and Migrants: Monitoring Progress on the WHO Global Plan of Action shows that countries are increasingly relying on evidence, data, science and established norms and standards to guide how they address migration and health within their national health systems, even in politically sensitive situations.
Case studies from all six WHO regions demonstrate how progress can be achieved in practice, from expanding migrant health insurance coverage in Thailand, to using cross-cultural communication mediators in Belgium, to involving migrant community representatives in decision-making about primary health care provision in Chile.
a gap remains
Despite progress, the report highlights gaps that still exist.
- Only 37% of responding countries regularly collect, analyze, and disseminate migration-related health data as part of their national health information systems.
- Only 42% include refugees and migrants in their emergency preparedness, disaster risk reduction, or response plans.
- Less than 40% report training health workers in culturally sensitive care of refugees and immigrants.
- Only 30% run communication campaigns to counter misconceptions and discrimination regarding the health of refugees and migrants.
- Access remains uneven. Refugees are generally more likely to have access to health services, but migrants in irregular situations, internally displaced persons, migrant workers, and international students are consistently not covered. and
- Participation in governance is limited, and refugees and migrants remain underrepresented in health governance and decision-making processes in most countries.
Future direction
WHO welcomes the progress made and urges governments, partners and donors to accelerate progress by:
- Incorporate refugees and migrants into all countries’ health policies, strategies and plans.
- Strengthen the collection and use of routine disaggregated transition health data for planning and accountability.
- Coordination across sectors spanning health, housing, education, employment and social protection.
- Tailor strategies to the specific needs of different migrant subgroups, including migrants in irregular situations.
- meaningfully involve refugees and migrants in planning, governance, service design and delivery;
- Train health care workers to provide equitable and culturally sensitive care.
- Combating misinformation and discrimination through evidence-based action. and
- Protect and expand funding to protect progress for all.
WHO will continue to support Member States to translate commitments into action by strengthening evidence, promoting culturally responsive care, and integrating refugees and migrants into resilient national health systems. At global, regional and country levels, WHO will also work closely with partners such as the International Organization for Migration, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the World Bank to promote a coordinated rights-based approach to the health of refugees and migrants.
IOM has become the first international organization to join the Global Digital Health Verification Network (GDHCN), a digital public infrastructure hosted by WHO that enables the verification of health documents across countries. This new collaboration is expected to further strengthen efforts to provide migrants with secure access to verifiable health records wherever they are and support continuity of care across borders.
By becoming the first international organization to join GDHCN, IOM underlines WHO’s leadership on the public health front of refugee and migrant health and fostering reliable, interoperable digital health systems that protect and empower people around the world.
sauce:
world health organization
