One in seven people globally is a migrant,
refugee or an internally displaced person.
With countries across South-East Asia Region
host to large migrant populations, WHO today called for focused attention to
address their health needs.
Disease is universal and transcends borders
and nation states. As health leaders we must tackle the health problems that
affect migrant populations.
We need to construct better information systems to
collect data on the health issues of migrants; institute policy and legal
frameworks that facilitate greater health care access; and create inclusive
health systems sensitive to the needs of migrants, Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh,
Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia, said here.
Health and migration are key concerns of
Member countries across the Region, with Thailand, India, Bangladesh and
Indonesia named among the top ten countries witnessing large movements of
people in Asia.
Migration poses greater risk and
vulnerability to infectious diseases, mental health disorders, maternal and
neonatal mortality, substance use, alcoholism, malnutrition, violence and noncommunicable
diseases.
As migration continues to accelerate at
unprecedented levels, we are presented with an opportunity to come together as
a Region to ensure that migrants are able to access adequate health coverage,
Dr Khetrapal Singh said.
Mobile populations pose additional challenges
to countries often already struggling to cope with day-to-day demands on their
health care systems. Migrants also encounter obstacles to accessing quality
health care, as provision of health services is contingent on their legal and
administrative status.
At the WHO Regional Committee meeting here,
Member countries shared experiences in addressing this growing regional issue,
including the potential of infectious disease and antimicrobial resistance
spread. In response to the issue, for example, Thailand has formulated a
Healthy Borders approach in the Greater Mekong Subregion, a border area with
Laos and Cambodia, which focuses on the prevention and control of tuberculosis,
HIV, and other prevalent communicable diseases.
Additional concerns raised and discussed
included the fact that mobile and migrant populations are uniquely vulnerable
to contracting malaria. In February 2016, five South-East Region Member
countries Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar and Nepal came together to enhance
cross-border collaboration on malaria elimination efforts.
The Regional Committee is WHO South-East Asia
Regions highest decision-making body, and includes health ministers and senior
health ministry officials of the 11 member countries of the Region Bangladesh,
Bhutan, Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, India, Indonesia, Maldives,
Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Timor-Leste.
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