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Migration in southern Africa is in the spotlight this week as academics tackle the major challenges around access to health care. Part of the weeklong activities included a symposium and the release of a report by a special global commission into health and migration.
The aim of the symposium was to put the spotlight on the fact that policies on migration often miss out on health issues. This is in terms of how migration affects peoples’ health, as well as the fact that migrants require health services. Sasha Frade, Jo Vearey and Stephen Tollman discuss why South Africa’s health system needs to engage with migration, as well as how a migration-aware health system will support the improvement of health for all.
The global commission’s report highlighted how health care systems fail migrants. Three of the commissioners – Stephen Tollman, Davide Mosca and Miriam Orcutt – set out what’s in the report and spell out its significance for migration policy and health in southern Africa.
A big challenge, however, is that patterns of migration are constantly shifting. One such change is that more women are on the move – both across borders and within countries. But there's a limited understanding of migrant women's complex experiences which means that they are often categorised as being vulnerable. While women do sometimes face increased risks, this is not the sum of their experiences. Rebecca Walker and Jo Vearey explain what needs to change.
The South African government’s plans to introduce National Health Insurance also came under scrutiny. As Sasha Frade and Jo Vearey explain, a glaring weakness is care for migrants. In its current form, they argue, it legitimises the exclusion of international migrants from South Africa’s public health system.
Mark A. Collinson and Carren Ginsburg report on a project that provides statistics on migration and urbanisation. The data include health, social development, and basic education statistics and are important for population planning.
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