Migration Health Research Podcast No. 2 (Migration Health Research Bulletin #15)
Professor David Ingleby, Researcher at the Centre for Social Science and Global Health at the University of Amsterdam, discusses the factors that affect the international migrant stock in developing countries, and why it appears increasing or decreasing depending on these factors. Also, Ms. Angelica Neville, IOM's Project Manager (Gender, Mobility, and Health) based in the Solomon Islands, talks about the health issues, risks, and vulnerabilities associated with heightened mobility in the Solomon Islands.
Migration and mobility are central features of the Pacific Islands landscape. The diverse island States dispersed throughout the world’s largest ocean are connected by thousands of years of migration, history, and culture. Mobility continues to remain a cornerstone of contemporary Pacific Islander identity and is central to many facets of Pacific Islands life. Both push and pull factors – such as marriage and maintenance of kin relations, trade and exchange, livelihood and economic opportunities, and displacement and resettlement from conflict or environmental hazards – motivate movement.
Mobility brings both opportunities and challenges. With increasing rates of mobility and the expansion of extractive industries such as forestry, mining and commercial fishing in the region, it is of particular importance to understand potential community health challenges and vulnerabilities that may impact the populations and communities affected by these changes. Violence against women and girls (VAWG) is a worldwide public health issue, and emerging evidence from the Solomon Islands has demonstrated that migration-affected communities face particular challenges in relation to community health and VAWG, including increased risk of sexual exploitation, trafficking, and abuse. Despite the high number of anecdotal reports on this issue, little evidence or data currently exists that specifically addresses the nexus of gender, mobility, and health in the Pacific. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) Community Health and Mobility in the Pacific (CHAMP) project has been established to address this gap. This report focuses on this nexus in the Solomon Islands context.