News

WHO calls for action to deliver health care to migrants and refugees |

Warnings of the World Health Organization (WHO) is in the first report on the health of refugees and migrants, published Wednesday.

It calls for urgent action to ensure people on the go can access healthcare services that are sensitive to their needs.

“Whether by choice or by force, moving is about being human and a part of human life. Regardless of a person’s motives, circumstances, origin or migration status, we must reiterate unequivocally that health is a human right for all, and universal health coverage must cover both refugees and migrants,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, in the report.

Challenge time

Globally, there are about one billion migrants, or about one in eight.

Epidemics, famine, climate change and war have forced people to leave their homeland, and the conflict in Ukraine has helped push up the number of migrants worldwide. more than 100 million for the first time in history.

At the same time, COVID-19 The pandemic continues to disproportionately affect the health and livelihoods of migrants and refugees.

The report is based on a comprehensive review of data from around the world, revealing that refugees and migrants are inherently no less healthy than host communities.

Dirty and dangerous jobs

Their poorer health outcomes are due to the impact of various suboptimal health determinants such as education, income, and housing, which include language, cultural, legal and regulatory barriers. legislation and other barriers.

The report highlights that migration and relocation experiences are key to health and wellbeing, especially when combined with other factors.

A recent analysis of more than 17 million participants from 16 countries across five WHO regions found that migrant workers have less likely to use health servicesand more likely to suffer an occupational injurywhen compared with non-migrants.

Furthermore, a significant number of the world’s 169 million migrant workers globally are working in dirty, dangerous and demanding jobs.

They are more at risk of work-related accidents, injuries and health problems than non-migrant workers. The situation is also aggravated by their often limited or limited access to and use of health services.


Lwin Lwin Kyi (left), a Burmese migrant medical volunteer during the COVID-19 response.

WHO

Lwin Lwin Kyi (left), a Burmese migrant medical volunteer during the COVID-19 response.

Quality data is important

The report also shows that while health data and information on the health of refugees and migrants is abundant, it is also scattered and not comparable across countries and over time.

The WHO says that although migrant populations can sometimes be identified in global datasets used to track the SDGs, health data is often missing from migration statistics.

In addition, migration status variables are often missing from health statistics, making it difficult to identify and track the progress of refugees and migrants towards health-related goals. strong.

Dr Zsuzsanna Jakab said: “It is imperative that we do more for refugees and migrants’ health but if we are to change the status quo, we need urgent investments to improve quality. quality, relevance and completeness of health data on refugees and migrants. WHO Deputy Director General.

“We need sensible data collection and monitoring systems that truly represent the diversity of the world’s populations and the experiences that refugees and migrants face around the world and can guide more effective policies and interventions.”

On the front line

While policies and frameworks already exist to address and meet the health needs of refugees and migrants, WHO says disparities persist due to a lack of meaningful and effective implementation. .

Health does not begin or end at the borders of a countryr. Therefore, migration status should not be a discriminatory factor but a policy driver for building and strengthening health care and social and financial protection. We must reorient existing health systems to inclusive and integrated health services for refugees and migrants, consistent with the principles of primary health care and health coverage. the whole population,” said Dr Santino Severoni, WHO Health and Migration Program Director.

The report highlights how refugees and migrants can spark innovations that drive economic and social transformation.

It also draws attention to exceptional contributions to the frontline response during the pandemicnote that in some countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), up to half of the doctors or nurses are foreigners.

Source link

news7g

News7g: Update the world's latest breaking news online of the day, breaking news, politics, society today, international mainstream news .Updated news 24/7: Entertainment, Sports...at the World everyday world. Hot news, images, video clips that are updated quickly and reliably

Related Articles

Back to top button