WHO/Europe in collaboration with the Ministry for Health and Active Ageing of Malta is hosting the first Knowledge Forum on Refugee and Migrant Health, in Malta on 16–18 April 2024. The Forum will bring together Member States and a wide range of partners to
- share and exchange knowledge and best practices around health and migration;
- discuss and reflect on common challenges and opportunities;
- identify key partnerships for joint interventions across countries of origin, transit and destination;
- connect and forge new initiatives.
Facilitating collaboration and exchange across migration routes, stakeholders from countries of origin, transit and destination will participate in the Forum. The Forum in 2024 will be the first of a regular series, which WHO/Europe will continue over the next years. This year's forum is co-funded by the European Union.
Implementing the new action plan for better refugee and migrant health
The Forum will build on the “Action plan for refugee and migrant health in the WHO European Region 2023–2030” and provide tools and resources for its implementation, supporting Member States to make their commitment to health for all, including refugees and migrants, a reality.
Member States adopted the Action plan in a milestone agreement at the 73rd session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe in Kazakhstan last year. Reaffirming their commitment to the right to health for all, Member States agreed on 5 strategic actions to improve the health of refugees and migrants in the Region through 2030:
- ensure refugees and migrants benefit from universal health coverage;
- implement inclusive emergency and disaster risk reduction policies and actions;
- develop inclusive environments that promote public health, social inclusion and well-being;
- strengthen migration-related health governance and evidence- and data-driven policy-making;
- explore innovative ways of working and develop enabling partnerships.
Thematic days
The Forum will be divided into 3 thematic days covering a diversity of themes in refugee and migrant health.
Day 1. Where do we stand?
On Day 1 participants will take stock of the status of refugee and migrant health, covering topics such as:
- governance and health leadership in the context of refugee and migrant health
- legal and governance frameworks
- design of migrant-friendly and responsive health services
- integration of refugee and migrant voices into research and service design
- the epidemiology of refugee and migrant health.
Day 2. What actions are needed?
On Day 2 participants will focus on actions that are needed to address common challenges and seize opportunities, covering topics such as:
- ethical recruitment of migrant health-care workers
- competencies for migrant and refugee-sensitive health services
- migration health data collection and data sharing
- the role of health mediators to support refugees in navigating health systems
- immunization
- barriers to access and continuity of care across migration pathways
- mental health
- the role of health services in prevention of human trafficking.
Day 3. How do we implement solutions across the whole migration route?
Day 3 will be dedicated to the translation of outcomes into concrete actions. The day’s programme will focus on:
- learning from country experiences and different contexts;
- harnessing collective problem-solving approaches;
- discussing solutions applying a whole-of-route approach for countries of origin, transit and destination across migration trajectories.
Participants
Participants will be able to join by invitation. Invitations will be shared with:
- the 53 Member States of the WHO European Region
- Member States of the WHO African and Eastern Mediterranean regions
- Member States of the Pan American Health Organization
- United Nations agencies, the European Commission and other relevant partners
- international experts in the field of public health and migration
- refugee and migrant representatives.