Migration and health news from around the WHO European Region
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Migration and health news from around the WHO European Region.
Migration and Health Newsletter
June 2025
World Refugee Day 2025: in solidarity with refugees and their right to health
20 June 2025, Global
On World Refugee Day, WHO joins the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and partners in standing in solidarity with refugees – people who have been forced to flee their homes due to conflict, persecution or crisis. In 2025 we reaffirm our collective commitment to ensuring their right to health. Refugees are not separate from us. Our commitment to refugee health reflects our values, and is a testament to equity, dignity and shared humanity. Healthy societies leave no one behind. Not in law. Not in everyday life. Not in health.
Visit the campaign page here.
Feature story: “What could matter more to a mother than being heard when she asks for help?”
20 June 2025, the Republic of Moldova
Two weeks after war broke out in her native Ukraine in 2022, Yuliia reached the Republic of Moldova. Initially, she and her family settled in Balti, but later the family of 4 moved to Chisinau. They chose the Republic of Moldova so that their eldest son, Alexei, then 17, could pursue his dream of becoming a musician. Today, Alexei is a third-year student at the Academy of Music, Theatre and Fine Arts. Yuliia’s little daughter, Svetlana, has also started school. The Republic of Moldova quickly became a second home to the family. Yuliia calls it their “adoptive country”, explaining that it offered a helping hand when they needed it the most.
Read the full story here.
Visit the joint WHO-IOM-EU project webpage here.
Tombé’s story: climate change’s effects on migration and health
20 June 2025, Mauritania
With increasing droughts and climate change, Tombé left his village to work in a different country, as did many people in Mauritania. Today, the inhabitants of his home village have had to adapt to new types of food and to a sedentary lifestyle, which is affecting their health. Climate change reshapes migration patterns and impacts entire communities. Migration and sedentary living change health needs and access to healthcare. Protecting health and rights must guide climate-related migration responses.
Watch the video here.
[Russian] Dr. Hans Kluge, Director of the WHO Regional Office for Europe, visited the Chairman of the Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission, Bakytzhan Sagintayev, in Moscow
16 June 2025, Moscow, the Russian Federation
The Chairman of the Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC), Bakytzhan Sagintayev, held a working meeting with Dr. Hans Kluge, Director of the WHO Regional Office for Europe, at the EEC headquarters.
During the meeting, the parties discussed cooperation between the EEC and WHO within the framework of the Memorandum of Understanding and the action plan for its implementation through 2025. “Cooperation between the Eurasian Economic Commission and the World Health Organization, based on shared values and goals, is a key element in shaping a modern and resilient healthcare architecture across the EAEU,” emphasized Bakytzhan Sagintayev.
Following the meeting, both sides reaffirmed their mutual commitment to deepening constructive dialogue. Currently, the Eurasian Economic Commission and the WHO Regional Office for Europe are preparing a plan for further implementation of the Memorandum for the years 2026–2028. This new phase of cooperation will focus on the practical implementation of joint health measures within the EAEU, emphasizing sustainable and systemic solutions.
Read the EEC's press release in Russian here.
12-13 June, Chisinau, the Republic of Moldova
Health workforce migration is growing in the WHO European Region, highlighted in the WHO Europe Framework for Action on Health and Care Workforce 2023–2030. The region increasingly relies on international health professionals, with some countries sourcing up to 50% of new staff from abroad. Simultaneously, many young professionals leave for better opportunities, straining health systems in their home countries. This issue is particularly acute in the Eastern Partnership (EaP) countries, such as Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Republic of Moldova, and Ukraine. A shared understanding of migration trends and sustainable workforce planning is essential to ensure that both sending and receiving countries benefit from health worker mobility.
Based on lessons learned from the joint EU-WHO-IOM action to improve access to health services among refugees from Ukraine, the Health and Migration team contributed to the Sub-Regional Technical Workshop with country practices to support health workers from Ukraine continue their professional development while in displacement.
Visit this page for more information.
Visit the joint WHO-IOM-EU project webpage here.
2 – 14 June 2025, Riga, Latvia
In the framework of the joint EU-WHO-IOM action to improve access to health services for Ukrainian refugees, a two-week training programme took place in Latvia to support families of children with developmental delays or disorders. Organized by the WHO Country Office in Latvia, with support from WHO’s Mental Health Department and IOM, the training combined online and in-person sessions. 30 professionals were trained in the WHO Caregiver Skills Training (CST) programme, which equipped them to guide parents in using play and daily routines to support their children’s development. The initiative involved 24 families in practical sessions, ensuring real-life application. CST is designed to be low-resource and accessible, making it suitable for both refugee families from Ukraine and Latvian families. Latvia is among the first in the WHO European Region to adapt CST nationally, with materials translated by the Latvian Autism Association. This programme marks a significant step toward building a sustainable, family-centred early intervention system in the country.
Visit this page for more information.
Visit the joint WHO-IOM-EU project webpage here.
WHO Establishes Technical Advisory Group on Health, Migration, and Displacement for 2025–2027
June 2025, Global
WHO Health and Migration has established the first ever Technical Advisory Group (TAG) on Health, Migration and Displacement for 2025–2027 to support implementation of the WHO global action plan on promoting the health of refugees and migrants. The TAG provides strategic and technical guidance on research, policy development, and public health strategies aimed at reducing health inequities among displaced and migrant populations.
Following an open call, 16 multidisciplinary experts were appointed from across WHO regions, ensuring technical expertise, geographical representation, and gender balance. The group includes academics, public health professionals, and policymakers serving in their personal capacities.
The TAG meets quarterly, either virtually or in-person, providing expert feedback on WHO’s technical reports, guidance, and global strategies.
20 May 2025, Geneva
At the margins of the 78th World Health Assembly, over 30 Member States, UN agencies, researchers, and civil society representatives gathered for a hybrid event co-organized by Egypt, Peru, WHO, and IOM, with more than 900 attendees. The event highlighted the compounded risks faced by displaced populations, including increased exposure to noncommunicable disease (NCD) risk factors and persistent barriers to accessing care.
Aligned with the WHO global action plan on refugee and migrant health and key global commitments, including the Global Compacts on Migration and Refugees, participants issued a collective call to action. They urged the integration of refugee and migrant inclusion into national strategies on NCDs, mental health, and universal health coverage; the reflection of these priorities in the draft political declaration and global NCD responses; and the strengthening of cross-border continuity of care through culturally sensitive, people-centred models.
Continuum of care for noncommunicable disease management during the migration cycle
Dementia in refugees and migrants
Empowering health partners to ensure access to care for refugees and migrants in Romania
9-10 April, Bucharest, Romania
The WHO Country Office in Romania, in collaboration with WHO Health and Migration at headquarters, conducted a two-day training to enhance health-care access for refugees and migrants, particularly those displaced from Ukraine. Held under the joint EU-WHO-IOM action to improve access to health services among Ukrainian refugees, the training convened health professionals and mediators from across Romania to build skills aligned with WHO’s Global Competency Standards. The sessions focused on delivering culturally sensitive, people-centred care, improving communication, fostering interagency collaboration, and ensuring ethical, evidence-based practices. Participants engaged in interactive workshops and shared reflections on how the training would influence their work with displaced populations. The initiative aims to create a sustainable community of practice among Romanian health workers, supporting inclusive and coordinated care. This training marks a key step toward equitable health-care delivery for all, leaving no one behind.
WHO launches new online course for health workers on caring for refugee and migrant populations
Visit the joint WHO-IOM-EU project webpage here.
A Call to Safeguard Maternal and Newborn Health for Migrants on World Health Day 2025
7 April 2025, Global
On World Health Day 2025, the United Nations Network on Migration (UNNM), with WHO as part of its Executive Committee, reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring every pregnant migrant woman, mother, and newborn has access to essential health care—regardless of migration status. This call aligns with the WHO global action plan on promoting refugee and migrant health and the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, stressing that advancing maternal and newborn health is a shared responsibility essential to human rights, public health, and sustainable development.
Migrant women often face heightened risks and systemic barriers, including lack of legal identity, fear of deportation, and fragmented care, especially during pregnancy and childbirth. The UNNM urged Member States to build inclusive health systems that guarantee uninterrupted maternal and newborn care across migration routes by ensuring birth registration, universal access to emergency sexual and reproductive health services, culturally sensitive care, and strengthened regional cooperation.
WHO/Europe contributes to shaping the new CIS Common Migration Space Concept
2 April 2025, Moscow, the Russian Federation
The WHO Regional Office for Europe took part in the first meeting of the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly’s working group tasked with updating the Concept for a Common Migration Space. Representatives of WHO Europe emphasized the importance of aligning the revised Concept with key international frameworks on migrant health, including the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and The Action Plan for Refugee, the WHO Fourteenth General Programme of Work (GPW 14) for 2025–2028, The WHO Global Action Plan on Promoting the Health of Refugees and Migrants for 2019–2030, and The Action Plan for Refugee and Migrant Health in the WHO European Region for 2023–2030.
WHO’s recommendations highlighted the need for inclusive access to healthcare regardless of migration status, the integration of migrants into disaster preparedness and response, and the promotion of equal opportunities for social inclusion. WHO Europe also stressed the importance of improving digital data systems to enhance migrant health monitoring and policy development. WHO Europe’s participation underscores its commitment to supporting evidence-informed, rights-based, and people-centered migration policies across the CIS region.
