In Ireland, a new national initiative is strengthening the involvement of refugees and migrants in shaping public health policy, with support from the WHO Collaborating Centre for Participatory Health Research with Refugees and Migrants, based in the School of Medicine at the University of Limerick.
The Refugee and Migrant Health Partnership is a collaboration between the WHO collaborating centre and Ireland’s Department of Health. It is the country’s first dedicated national intersectoral entity focused on refugee and migrant health research and policy-making.
The initiative is based on participatory health research principles and addresses a gap seen across the WHO European Region, where “refugees and migrants’ involvement in research, service development and policy-making is rare, ad hoc and unevenly spread,” according to centre Director, Professor Anne MacFarlane.
Inclusive, participatory research to inform policy-making
The partnership’s objectives include designing a bespoke partnership model for refugee and migrant involvement to inform public health policy in Ireland, as well as identifying social determinants of health, key barriers in health service planning and ways to increase participation in consultations, planning and research.
Central to the project is the use of participatory health research approaches that recognize the contributions and lived experience of refugees and migrants. “Where they are involved meaningfully using participatory health research approaches, they are respected for their capabilities, resources and lived experience and bring new insights and actions to develop migrant friendly health services,” Professor MacFarlane said.
She added that the partnership also seeks to address a persistent problem in the field: “Refugees and migrants are both over-researched and under-researched, leading to lack of meaningful engagement in research”.
To address this, the team is exploring innovative, culturally attuned research methods that work with – not on – migrant communities. One area of particular interest is the use of music and singing as methods to enable the goals of the partnership.
Building impact through engagement and creativity
Since its launch, the partnership has achieved several milestones, including the involvement of refugees and migrants in the establishment of a governance structure and the development of a reference group to inform the development of public health policy on refugees and migrants.
A national information network and bimonthly newsletter have also been launched.
In November 2023, the Department of Health hosted a policy dialogue event using participatory and arts-based methods. In April 2024, the partnership’s innovative approach was showcased at the WHO/Europe Knowledge Forum on Refugee and Migrant Health, including exploration of the potential role of song composition in policy-making.
A national refugee and migrant health conference, incorporating arts-based components, was held at the University of Limerick in December 2024, and featured the launch of a national database of peer-reviewed research on refugee and migrant health in Ireland.
With its focus on inclusive, interdisciplinary and creative approaches, the partnership reflects WHO/Europe’s broader commitment to equity, participation and culturally competent care.