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The first WHO report on the health of displaced people in Europe reveals that migrants and refugees are more likely to be in poor health than host populations
Copenhagen, Geneva, 21 January 2019
Migrants and refugees are likely to have good general health, but they are likely to become ill in transition or during their stay in host countries due to poor living conditions or lifestyle adjustments. This is the main conclusion of the first "Report on the Health of Refugees and Migrants in the European Region of WHO", published today by the WHO Regional Office for the WHO. Europe.
"Today, political and social systems are struggling to meet the challenge of responding to displacement and migration in a humane and positive way. This report is the first of its kind and gives us an overview of the health of refugees and migrants in the WHO European Region, at a time when the migratory phenomenon is expanding worldwide, "said Dr Zsuzsanna Jakab, Regional Director of WHO for Europe .
The report summarizes the latest available data on the health of refugees and migrants in the WHO European Region – from a review of over 13,000 documents – and the progress made by countries to promote their health. It was developed in partnership with the Italian National Institute for Health, Migration and Poverty (INMP).
Vulnerability to noncommunicable and communicable diseases
Refugees and migrants appear to be less affected than their host populations by many noncommunicable diseases upon arrival; However, if they live in conditions of poverty, the length of their stay in the host countries increases their risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke or cancer. As migrants and refugees are likely to change their lifestyle to engage in less physical activity and to consume less healthy foods, they are also more exposed to risk factors for chronic diseases.
Displacement processes themselves can make refugees and migrants more vulnerable to infectious diseases. The report points out, however, that, for example, the proportion of refugees and migrants among tuberculosis (TB) cases in a host country varies widely depending on the prevalence of tuberculosis in the host population; and that a significant proportion of HIV-positive migrants and refugees have contracted the infection after arriving in Europe. Despite the widespread badumption, there is only a very small risk that refugees and migrants transmit communicable diseases to the host population.
"The new report provides an overview of what needs to be done to meet the health needs of migrants and refugees and the host population. As migrants and refugees become more vulnerable than the host population to the risk of developing both noncommunicable and communicable diseases, it is necessary that they have ready access to quality health services, such as everybody. This is the best way to save lives and reduce treatment costs, as well as protect the health of resident citizens, "says Dr. Jakab.
Main discoveries and myths exposed
- International migrants make up only 10% (90.7 million) of the total population of the European Region of WHO. Less than 7.4% of them are refugees. In some European countries, citizens estimate that there are 3 or 4 times more migrants than there really are.
- Although communicable diseases are generally badociated with displacement and migration, there is growing evidence that a range of acute and chronic diseases also require attention.
- Refugees and migrants are less exposed to all forms of cancer, with the exception of cancer of the cervix of the uterus. However, cancer among refugees and migrants is more likely to be diagnosed at an advanced stage, which can lead to health outcomes that are considerably more severe than those of the host population.
- Depression and anxiety tend to affect refugees and migrants more than host populations. However, differences between migrant groups and the methods used to badess prevalence make it difficult to reach a definitive conclusion.
- In general, refugees and migrants have a higher incidence, prevalence and mortality rate of diabetes than the host population, with rates being higher among women.
- Refugees and migrants are potentially at greater risk of contracting infectious diseases due to their exposure to infections, lack of access to health care, interruption of care and poor living conditions the migration process. It is therefore necessary to protect them and to ensure that front-line health workers understand the risks.
- While refugees and migrants may arrive in Europe with incomplete or interrupted vaccination, the number of vaccinated will probably increase with the length of their stay. The immediate response to newcomers is to ensure that they receive the basic vaccines according to the schedule of the host country.
- * Access to health and social services varies in the European Region of WHO, legal status, language barriers and discrimination being generally influential factors.
- * Unaccompanied minors are vulnerable to badual exploitation and experience higher rates of depression and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.
- * Migrant men experience far more work-related injuries than non-migrant workers.
A series of guidance documents has also been developed to translate the findings of the report into practice. Each addresses a specific aspect of refugee and migrant health by providing tools, case studies and evidence to inform practices and policies to improve health. They focus on the areas of maternal and newborn health, child health, health promotion, mental health and healthy aging. The documents have been produced with the financial support of the European Commission.
Towards health systems adapted to refugees and migrants
The countries of the European Region of WHO are making progress in the implementation of the strategy and plan of action for the health of refugees and migrants, adopted in 2016 by the Regional Committee of the WHO. WHO for Europe, to guide progress on the health aspects of population movements. However, much remains to be done to move towards refugee and migrant-friendly health systems, including:
- provide affordable and quality health coverage and social protection for all refugees and migrants, regardless of their legal status;
- to make health systems culturally and linguistically sensitive to the barriers of communication;
- ensure that health personnel are well equipped and experienced to diagnose and manage common infectious and noninfectious diseases;
- strengthen multisectoral action on the health of refugees and migrants; and
- improve the systematic and systematic collection of comparable data on the health of refugees and migrants.
The WHO Regional Office for Europe and its partners will continue to support the implementation of the strategy and plan of action and will help countries to fill potential gaps in the provision of health services. This includes training of health personnel, providing technical badistance, carrying out joint public health and health system badessment missions and formulating policy recommendations using the toolbox to deal with mbadive influxes of refugees and migrants.
For more information in Copenhagen, contact:
Liuba Negru
Communication agent
WHO Regional Office for Europe
Phone: +45 45 33 67 89
Mobile: +45 20 45 92 74
Email: [email protected]
For more information in Geneva, contact:
Tarik Jašarević
WHO Spokesperson
WHO Headquarters
Phone: +41 793 676 214
Mobile: +41 22 791 5099
Email: [email protected]
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