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
March 2023
37 countries from three WHO regions come together at second high-level interregional meeting on the health of refugees and migrants
16–17 March 2023, Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt
Amid the aftermath of the devastating earthquakes in the Syrian Arab Republic and Türkiye over a month ago,
as well as the ongoing war in Ukraine, three WHO regional offices brought together governments, civil society and health partners in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, for the second high-level meeting on the health of refugees and migrants – a timely gathering to ensure that refugees and migrants have access to health care across the migration route during emergencies and beyond.
“The WHO African, European and Eastern Mediterranean Regions, and the participants of this meeting, commit to concerted action to strengthen progress toward achieving universal health coverage, and to promote inclusion of refugees and migrants in national health policies and plans across routes of migration and in humanitarian settings” stated the meeting outcome statement.
New compendium showcases positive examples in refugee and migrant health
A new WHO compendium of 49 country case examples, Promoting the health of refugees and migrants: experiences from around the world, developed by the Health and Migration Programme is released illustrating positive steps
taken in countries towards better health outcomes for the 1 billion people on the move.
Based on voluntary submissions by governments and partners, the publication showcases how countries with varying health systems and challenges have implemented policies in line with the WHO Global action plan on promoting the health of refugees and migrants 2019–2023 (GAP).
Compendium
Refugee and Migrant Health Toolkit: new one-stop resource for countries to advance the health and migration agenda
The Refugee and Migrant Health Toolkit is a comprehensive, operational and user-friendly source of information, guidance and tools supporting implementation of health and migration-related activities including the Global action plan on promoting the health of refugees and migrants 2019–2023 (GAP), regional action plans and other initiatives having similar goals.
The crucial role of cultural mediators in Romania's Ukrainian refugee response
By February 2023, over 2.4 million Ukrainians had sought refuge in Romania, with more than 100 000 receiving European Union temporary protection status. The Romanian Government immediately recognized that the refugees needed access to health care, and offered them the same level of care as that for Romanian citizens with health insurance. However, communication and language barriers, the unfamiliarity of the health-care system, and lack of knowledge and information created obstacles that impacted refugees’ access to services.
In response, the WHO Country Office in Romania recruited seven Ukrainian-speaking cultural mediators through the United Nations Volunteers Programme. The cultural mediators have been deployed in Bucharest, Galați, Cluj, Târgu Mureș
and Brașov, where there are significant populations of Ukrainian refugees. They are based in the WHO clinic in Bucharest, in the Blue Dot service in Galați, and in the wider communities of the other cities.
More info
The Republic of Moldova has a population of just over 2.6 million, but over a half a million refugees from Ukraine have crossed into the tiny country, with over 100 000 remaining. Many women are effectively single parents, away from their husbands and traditional support networks and with limited opportunity to work. These burdens are on top of the grief, loss, uncertainty and separation from loved ones faced by all affected by the war.
The WHO Country Office in the Republic of Moldova is working closely with the Government and partner agencies to ensure that refugees fleeing Ukraine have access to the right level of mental health care. The Moldovan Government has recently granted “temporary protection” to displaced Ukrainians and some third-country nationals.
This legislation, which comes into effect on 1 March 2023, grants them the same access to health-care as Moldovan citizens.
More info
WHO is collaborating on a project to improve access to services for refugees with disabilities in Georgia by supporting service providers in the country. The ongoing war in Ukraine has disproportionately affected people with disabilities and the new joint programme aims to address the challenges and needs of Ukrainian refugees with disabilities in Georgia. The project is being undertaken with the European Disability Forum, four United Nations agencies, Georgian organizations for people with disabilities, and key Government ministries.
More info
The most comprehensive and wide-ranging study on the health needs of Ukrainian refugees in Poland to date has found that at least 1 in 10 report significant mental health issues, and of those reporting issues, more than half would benefit from treatment. Barriers such as lack of child care and difficulty of obtaining one-to-one appointments with Ukrainian-speaking mental health professionals mean that many Ukrainian refugees are unable to access the mental health care they need.
These are among the findings of a new WHO and Statistics Poland survey on the health needs of Ukrainian refugees in Poland, carried out with the aim of obtaining health information about Ukrainian refugees who fled the war in their homeland across the Polish–Ukrainian border.
More info
A key part of the health response is ensuring that refugees have the necessary information in Ukrainian about which services are available to them and how to access them. The HIV treatment regimen in Ukraine differs from the regimen used in European Union countries and includes use of certain effective drugs which are not licensed for use in these countries. Continuing to adhere to treatment regimens that are effective and avoiding unnecessary changes are the best solutions for the health of patients. The Polish Government has passed legislation to ensure that these drugs are available for the treatment of Ukrainian patients in Poland.
With support from WHO, Tajik authorities opened a new health point, situated in a temporary refugee settlement in the border district of Jaloliddin Balkhi in Khatlon region. Anyone hosted in the refugee settlement, which can accommodate up to 500 people, can receive basic screening and check-ups, as well as other essential health services, such as immunization. The health point will function as a first point of care, with patients referred to health facilities in the district for more serious health needs.
