Publications Search
This publications portal is a repository of all IOM migration health publications from 2006 to present where IOM was a primary contributor.
Publications include peer-reviewed scientific papers, technical reports, training guides/manuals, policy briefs/discussion papers, factsheets, newsletters, research reviews, conference and poster presentations. These are categorized by topic, author, country/region covered as well as by year, language, and type of publication. The map reflects the countries covered by the publications.
To browse or search: simply use the filter options on the left-hand side. Alternatively, you can enter keyword/s in the search box. Selecting a specific publication will lead to a ‘download’ link or link to the website where the document is housed. Here is the step-by-step guide for your reference.

‘We have similar sad stories’: A life history analysis of left-behind children in Cambodian residential care
Author/s: Yao Fu, Lucy P. Jordan, Iris Hoiting, Thida Kim, Kolitha Wickramage
Globally, labor migration of parents has resulted in a growing number of children and adolescents being left behind in the areas from where migrants depart. In many countries a single parent or grandparents often act as children’s primary caregivers when parents migrate, while residential care has been found to an emergent caregiving arrangement for left-behind children in Cambodia. This phenomenon raises the questions: 1) how parental migration and other contextual factors contribute to…
Read more
Integration of migrant and refugee data in health information systems in Europe: advancing evidence, policy and practice
Author/s: Kayvan Bozorgmehr, Martin McKee, Natasha Azzopardi-Muscat, Jozef Bartovic, Ines Campos-Matos, Tsvetelina-Ivanova Gerganova, Ailish Hannigan, Jelena Janković, Daniela Kállayová, Josiah Kaplan, Ilker Kayi, Elias Kondilis, Lene Lundberg, Isabel de La Mata, Aleksandar Medarević, Jozef Suvada, Kolitha Wickramage, Soorej Jose Puthoopparambil
Coverage of migrant and refugee data is incomplete and of insufficient quality in European health information systems. This is not because we lack the knowledge or technology. Rather, it is due to various political factors at local, national and European levels, which hinder the implementation of existing knowledge and guidelines. This reflects the low political priority given to the topic, and also complex governance challenges associated with migration and displacement. We review recent…
Read more
COVID-19 among migrants, refugees, and internally displaced persons: systematic review, meta-analysis and qualitative synthesis of the global empirical literature
Author/s: Maren Hintermeier, Nora Gottlieb, Sven Rohleder, Jan Oppenberg, Mazen Baroudi, Sweetmavourneen Pernitez-Agan, Janice Lopez, Sergio Flores, Amir Mohsenpour, Kolitha Wickramage, Kayvan Bozorgmehr
Background: Pandemic response and preparedness plans aim at mitigating the spread of infectious diseases and protecting public health, but migrants are often side-lined. Evidence amounted early that migrants are disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences. However, synthesised evidence is lacking that quantifies the inequalities in infection risk and disease outcomes, or contextualises the consequences of pandemic measures and their underlying…
Read more
Defining indicators for disease burden, clinical outcomes, policies, and barriers to health services for migrant populations in the Middle East and North African region: a suite of systematic reviews
Author/s: Farah Seedat, Stella Evangelidou, Moudrick Abdellatifi, Oumnia Bouaddi, Alba Cuxart-Graell, Hassan Edries, Eman Elafef, Taha Maatoug, Anissa Ouahchi, Liv Mathilde Pampiri, Anna Deal, Sara Arias, Bouchra Assarag, Kenza Hassouni, Aasmaa Chaoui, Wafa Chemao-Elfihri, Mahmoud Hilali, Azeddine Ibrahimi, Mohamed Khalis, Mansour Wejdene, Ali Mtiraoui, Kolitha Wickramage, Dominik Zenner, Ana Requena-Méndez, Sally Hargreaves the MENA Migrant Health Working Group
Introduction: The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is characterised by high and complex migration flows, yet little is known about the health of migrant populations, their levels of under-immunisation, and access to healthcare provision. Data are needed to support regional elimination and control targets for key diseases and the design and delivery of programmes to improve health outcomes in these groups. This protocol describes a suite of seven systematic reviews that aim to…
Read more
Health problems of Nepalese labor migrants: A scoping review
Author/s: Rajendra Karkee, Minani Gurung, Lisasha Poudel, Chiranjivi Baral, Pratik Adhikary, K C Radheshyam Krishna, Sundip Gurung, Vasil Gajdadziev, Patrick Duigan, Montira Inkochasan, Kolitha Wickramage, Ganesh Gurung
Labor migrants (LMs) often work in precarious work environments and are exposed to various health risks. There is a lack of information on the health of international Nepalese LMs (NLMs). This scoping study was conducted to assess the health problems of international NLMs based on the six-stage scoping review process of Arksey and O'Malley. A literature review and stakeholders consultation related to NLMs' health information were conducted. A total of 455 studies were identified of which 38…
Read more
Examining post-conflict stressors in northern Sri Lanka: A qualitative study
Author/s: Fiona C. Thomas, Malasha D’souza, Olivia Magwood, Dusharani Thilakanathan, Viththiya Sukumar, Shannon Doherty, Giselle Dass, Tae Hart, Sambasivamoorthy Sivayokan, Kolitha Wickramage, Sivalingam Kirupakaran, Kelly McShane
Forcibly displaced individuals typically encounter daily stressors, which can negatively impact mental health above and beyond direct exposure to war-related violence, trauma, and loss. Understanding the perspectives of war-affected communities regarding daily stressors can enhance the integration of mental health into local primary care. The aim of the current study was to explore how daily stressors are conceptualized in a post-conflict setting. Data collection was completed with 53 adult…
Read more
Displacement-related stressors in a Sri Lankan war-affected community: Identifying the impact of war exposure and ongoing stressors on trauma symptom severity
Author/s: Fiona C. Thomas, Simon Coulombe, Todd A. Girard, Tae L. Hart, Shannon Doherty, Giselle Dass, Kolitha Wickramage, Chesmal Siriwardhana, Rajendra Surenthirakumaran, Kelly McShane
Abstract
In recent years, there has been a shift in the literature towards identifying how ongoing stress adversely affects mental health beyond the effect of direct exposure to war-related violence. The goal of the current study was to investigate the relationship between displacement-related stressors and trauma symptom severity. Participants (N = 1015) were recruited from primary healthcare clinics (PHCs) in Northern Sri Lanka and completed a demographic and displacement…

Immunisation status of UK-bound refugees between January, 2018, and October, 2019: a retrospective, population-based cross-sectional study
Author/s: Anna Deal, Sally E Hayward, Alison F Crawshaw, Lucy P Goldsmith, Charles Hui, Warren Dalal, Fatima Wurie, Mary-Ann Bautista, May Antonnette Lebanan, Sweetmavourneen Agan, Farah Amin Hassan, Kolitha Wickramage, Ines Campos-Matos, Sally Hargreaves
Summary
Background
WHO’s new Immunization Agenda 2030 places a focus on ensuring migrants and other marginalised groups are offered catch-up vaccinations across the life-course. Yet, it is not known to what extent specific groups, such as refugees, are immunised according to host country schedules, and the implications for policy and practice. We aimed to assess the immunisation coverage of UK-bound refugees undergoing International Organization for…

Health and illness in migrants and refugees arriving in Europe: analysis of the electronic Personal Health Record system
Author/s: Dominik Zenner, Ana Requena Méndez, Steffen Schillinger, Elena Val, Kolitha Wickramage
Abstract
Background
The electronic Personal Health Record (ePHR) is a health information system that registers health data on newly arriving migrants and was implemented in eight European countries (Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Romania, Serbia and Slovenia). This is a cross-sectional study aimed to describe the health problems and health status of all migrants attended at health clinics as part of the health assessment…

When husband migrate: effects of international migration of husbands on fetal outcomes, body mass index and gestational weight of female spouses that stay behind
Author/s: Renuka Jayatissa, Kolitha Wickramage, Buddhini Herath Denuwara, Himali Herath, Ranbanda Jayawardana, Amila Gayan Perera, Nawamali De Alwis
Abstract
Background
International labour migration continues to be an integral component in Sri Lanka’s economic development. Previous research indicates an adverse perinatal outcome in association with low maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index (PBMI) and gestational weight gain (GWG). However, evidence of this association is limited in migrant families. This study aims to investigate the associations between PBMI, GWG among lactating mothers (LM), and fetal outcomes…