The WHO report shows worse health outcomes for many vulnerable refugees and migrants

“Today there are about one billion migrants in the world, approximately one in eight people. The experience of migration is a key determinant of health and well-being, and refugees and migrants remain among the most vulnerable and neglected members of many societies,” said Dr Tedros. “This report is the first to offer a global overview of the health of refugees and migrants; calls for urgent and collective action to ensure they have access to health services that are sensitive to their needs. It also illustrates the urgent need to address the root causes of ill health and radically reorient health systems to respond to an increasingly mobile world.”

Based on an extensive review of literature from around the world, the report shows that refugees and migrants are not inherently less healthy than the host population. Rather, it is the impact of various suboptimal health determinants, such as education, income, housing, access to services, compounded by linguistic, cultural, legal and other barriers and their interplay over the life course, that are behind poor health outcomes.

The report reiterates that the experience of migration and displacement is a key factor in a person’s health and well-being, particularly in combination with other determinants. For example, a recent meta-analysis of more than 17 million participants from 16 countries in five WHO regions found that, compared with non-migrant workers, migrant workers were less likely to use health services and more likely to have injuries at work. work. Evidence has also shown that a significant number of the 169 million migrant workers worldwide are engaged in dirty, dangerous and demanding jobs and are at greater risk of occupational accidents, injuries and work-related health problems than their non-migrant counterparts, conditions are exacerbated by their often limited access to and use of health services.

The report identified critical gaps in data and health information systems related to the health of refugees and migrants – although data and evidence are abundant, they are fragmented and not comparable across countries and over time. Although these mobile populations can sometimes be identified in global datasets used to monitor sustainable development, health data are often missing from migration statistics, and migration status variables are often missing from health statistics. This makes it difficult to determine and monitor refugees’ and migrants’ progress towards health-related sustainable development goals.

“It is imperative that we do more for the health of refugees and migrants, but if we want to change the status quo, we need urgent investment to improve the quality, relevance and integrity of refugee and migrant health data. We need good data collection and monitoring systems that truly represent the diversity of the world’s population and the experiences that refugees and migrants face around the world and that can guide more effective policies and interventions,” said Dr. Zsuzsanna Jakab, WHO Deputy Director-General.

Although the lack of comparable data on the health of refugees and migrants across countries and over time often prevents the development of good policy towards health equity, there are policies and frameworks that address and respond to the health needs of refugees and migrants. However, disparities in health outcomes remain, and the report shows that these are largely due to a lack of meaningful and effective policy implementation.

“Health does not start or end at the border of the country. Migration status should therefore not be a discriminatory factor, but rather a political driver on which health, social and financial protection can be built and strengthened. We need to reorient existing health systems into integrated and inclusive health services for refugees and migrants, in line with the principles of primary health care and universal health coverage,” said Dr. Santino Severoni, Director of the WHO Health and Migration Programme.

Refugees and migrants can introduce innovative ideas that drive economic and social transformation. The report highlights the extraordinary contributions of refugee and migrant health workers to the frontline response to COVID-19. One of the most significant was the contribution of migrants in several countries of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), which was particularly significant when in some countries even half of the doctors or nurses were born abroad.

The implementation of inclusive health systems that comply with the principle of the right to health for all and universal health coverage would enable early identification and support of people who need health services, before many problems become acute. Healthcare systems are only as strong as their weakest link. The inclusion of refugees and migrants is a valuable investment for the development and well-being of societies around the world.

Note to editors:

The signatories of the world report are cited here:

“Recognizing that migration and displacement affect the health of billions of people on the move, this Report marks a welcome advance in thinking about migration and displacement through a single lens. The objective is universal health coverage and the idea that everyone has the right to ‘complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity’, as stated in the 1946 WHO Constitution.”

Ban Ki-moon, President of the Ban Ki-moon Foundation for a Better Future, 8th Secretary-General of the United Nations

“Physical, economic and psychological challenges brought by migration and displacement and integration into host communities are often misheard, ignored or misperceived. I welcome the way this Report brings together the available global evidence on the health of people on the move – international migrants and those forcibly displaced – in one authoritative document.”

Abdulrazak Gurnah, novelist and professor, Nobel Prize for Literature (2021)

“This Report shows that the most effective way to meet the health needs of refugees and migrants in the short, medium and long term is through integrated health systems and the inclusion of refugees and migrants in systems that serve host communities. Despite the significant resources and technical improvements it may require, a more inclusive health system has proven to be extremely beneficial for everyone, refugees, migrants and host communities alike.”

Midori de Habich, former Minister of Health, Peru