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Integration of migrant and refugee data in health information systems in Europe: advancing evidence, policy and practice

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…

Bridging the gap: Using CHNRI to align migration health research priorities in India with local expertise and global perspectives

Background: Migration and health are increasingly recognised as a global public health priority, but concerns have been raised on the skewed nature of current research and the potential disconnect between health needs and policy and governance responses. The Migration Health South Asia (MiHSA) network led the first systematic research priority-setting exercise for India, aligned with the global call to develop a clearly defined migration health research agenda that will inform…

Mental Health of Refugees and Migrants: Risk and protective factors and access to care

This is the fifth report of the Global Evidence Review on Health and Migration (GEHM) series. The publication focuses on the mental health needs of refugees and migrants by providing an overview of the available evidence on patterns of risk and protective factors and of facilitators and barriers to care at all levels (individual, family, community and national government). It identifies five high-level themes, each of which has implications for research and policy and is relevant across…

COVID-19 Vaccination in Humanitarian Settings: Action plan from a joint convening and contributions to broader pandemic preparedness

This report and action plan summarize the proceedings and outcome of a 2-day Joint convening on COVID-19 vaccination in humanitarian settings and the contribution to broader pandemic preparedness held on 14–15 February 2023 in Nairobi, Kenya.

The convening was organized by the COVID-19 Vaccine Delivery Partnership (CoVDP) and key partners from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the Global Health Cluster (GHC), International Committee of…

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

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…

Climate change, migration, and zoonoses in the East and Horn of Africa region: A call for action

This technical brief presents an overview of the available evidence connecting climate change, migration, and zoonotic disease risk in East and Horn of Africa, highlighting the gaps in policy and programming for the human mobility and global health security nexus, and providing key recommendations to policymakers and implementing agencies.

Implementing the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration through Migration Health Actions

The Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) is the first inter-governmentally negotiated agreement on migration in all its aspects. The GCM features health as a cross-cutting priority in several objectives, and provides an opportunity to promote the health of migrants in many related sectors. The implementation and review of the GCM recognize the importance of global coordination of comprehensive, rights-based migration policy to effectively govern migration.

An Analysis of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Policies in Relation to Migrants, Sex Workers, and Young and Vulnerable People in Migration‑affected Communities in South Africa

Globally and in South Africa, IOM migration health programming seeks to promote the inclusion of migrants in laws, policies, and programmes at the global, regional, and national levels. Addressing incoherencies in health and non-health policies could reduce the exclusion of vulnerable migrants in services and programmes.

This report highlights findings and recommendations of the policy analysis research that was commissioned by IOM to investigate the degree of coherence among various…

Migration Health Research Bulletin, Issue No. 26

The issue of the Bulletin features articles, reports, and technical briefs focusing on migrants’ access to healthcare information and services, health impacts of air pollution, as well as syndromic screening, and disease surveillance.

The audio podcast episode outlines the findings of a desk review to determine the rights of migrants to access healthcare services in the 16 Southern African Development Community Member States as well as an overview of the health challenges faced by…

Report on refugee health: assessment of the Bulgarian health system’s needs within the context of the crisis in Ukraine

Since the beginning of the Ukraine crisis on 24 February 2022, WHO has supported Government-led efforts and initiatives alongside key partners on the ground. Building on efforts to date, and working alongside Bulgaria’s health authorities to bring added value to existing mechanisms, the WHO Country Office Bulgaria, the WHO Regional Office for Europe and the WHO Health and Migration Programme, in close collaboration with the Ministry of Health of Bulgaria and key partners, undertook a joint…