Refugee and Migrant Health

At the 72nd World Health Assembly held during May 20–28 of this year in Geneva, Switzerland, a very welcome global action plan was agreed which seeks to establish a “framework of priorities and guiding principles … to promote the health of refugees and migrants”. The WHO document also notes that the number of forcibly displaced people has reached its highest ever level, at an estimated 68.5 million individuals, including 25.4 million refugees—the majority hosted in low- and middle-income countries. Further, approximately 10 million stateless people lack basic human rights to freedom of movement, education and health care. Scattered across the planet, such enormous numbers of people dwarf the individual populations of many countries yet, all too often, no government or international agency can offer adequate protection or health provision to this virtual state of refugees and migrants.

Image Credit: Refugee and Migrant Health z