Migration and health in the European &

other regions

Dr Zsuzsanna JakabWHO Regional Director for Europe

A challenge or a shared global responsibility? 244 million international migrants worldwide, of whom 20 million are refugees

77 million international migrants in the WHO European Region: 8% of its population

• This is an unprecedented global situation.• The European Region has seen:

o increasing arrivals since 2011o over 1 million arrivals throughout 2015.

• Similar trends have occurred in other WHO regions: the Eastern Mediterranean Region has hosted 4.2 million refugees and has 19.7 million internally displaced people.

• Migration is a global reality, linked to both: o long-term globalization and unequal developmental

patterns; ando forced migration as a result of conflict and war. 

• Many countries are well prepared but need urgent coordinated responses to address the short- and long-term implications.

WHO Regional Office for Europe migration health programme

• The Public Health Aspects of Migration in Europe (PHAME) project was established in 2012 with financial support from Italy.

• Its aim is to assist Member States to:

o respond to public health challenges emerging from migration; and

o protect the health of refugees, migrants and host population.

• It has four main activity areas:o technical assistance to countrieso collection of health information and evidenceo policy developmento advocacy and communication activities.

• Mid-2015 the Task Force on Migration and Health was established to scale up technical assistance to countries.

A concerted and coordinated response, based on the principles of solidarity and humanity

Essential for population health and for acknowledgement of the human right to health for all

Interventions needed as short-term measures and for the long-term, with a focus on the most vulnerable

Rome High-level Meeting on Refugee and Migrant Health and outcome document

Strengthening national, international and intersectoral collaboration

Bridges of collaboration between the European, African and Eastern Mediterranean WHO regions

Cooperation among United Nations agencies and international organizations

Towards a European strategy and action plan• European strategy and action plan for refugee and

migrant health considered by the European Regional Committee in September 2016

• Background: WHA61.17, Health 2020 and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, as well as the Rome outcome document

• Consultation with all United Nations agencies and other international organizations

• WHO European and Eastern Mediterranean inter-

regional technical meeting to strengthen collaboration between the two regions

• Ministry of Health of Italy-financed second phase of the PHAME project + creation of a knowledge hub on migration and health in Sicily

Activities in other WHO regions• African and Eastern Mediterranean– Emergency response and humanitarian

assistance – Health system strengthening for better

preparedness, response, recovery and resilience

• South-East Asia and Western Pacific– Universal health coverage as an umbrella to

meet health needs of migrants– Healthy border programmes with a focus on

Greater Mekong Subregion – tuberculosis, HIV, malaria and other communicable diseases

– The Colombo Process – Review of access to services by migrants in the

Greater Mekong Subregion (forthcoming)

Activities in other WHO regions

Region of the Americas– Plan of action for the coordination of

humanitarian assistance (PAHO Resolution CD53.12,

2014)

– Health, human security and well-being (PAHO Resolution

CD50.R16, 2010)

– Strategy for universal access to health and universal health coverage

(PAHO Resolution CD53/5.Rev. 2, 2014)

Leave no one behind:global responsibility sharing

There is no public health without migrant health.

Health dimensions cannot be addressed with single-country solutions.

WHO and its partners must work with Member States to:

o reduce excess mortality and morbidity;o minimize the negative impact of the migration process;o avoid disparities in health status and access; ando ensure refugees’ and migrants’ health rights.

Leave no one behind:global responsibility sharing

Countries must:• develop inclusive migrant health policies,

integrate them into the national development plan and put it into practice;

• strengthen health systems to provide universal health coverage and equitable access to high-quality health services and public health programmes;

• have adequate health information systems, with good surveillance and epidemiological data;

• have coherent policies among the various

sectors and countries involved in the migration process.