Noting that migrants often have worse health outcomes than host populations, the article said that they are frequently the ‘most vulnerable and neglected people, and remain a pressing global health concern.’ “Moreover, rising political anti-migrant sentiment and economic upheaval are undermining the moral responsibility, compassion, and resources needed to address migrant health,” it added.The article highlighted that migrants make a huge contribution to society in terms of economic prosperity, development, and community enrichment. It said addressing migration and health is crucial for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, including universal health coverage, protecting and promoting the health of all populations, and effectively managing health emergencies.“Global migration is an inescapable reality. Whether by choice or by force, 1 billion people (one in eight of the world population) are on the move today, driven by economic, political, demographic, environmental, and sociocultural forces,” it said.The article also highlighted that global migration is an inescapable reality, whether by choice or force. By mid-2024, a record 122.6 million people were forcibly displaced.“This number includes internally displaced people, refugees, asylum seekers, and other people in need of international protection,” it added.The article noted that climate change is a driver of displacement and quoted the World Bank, which has predicted that climate change will force more than 216 million people across six continents to move within their countries by 2050.Decades of technical progress have been made on the topic of migration and health across the UN system.The adoption of World Assembly Resolutions in 2008 and 2017 on migrant and refugee health culminated in the first Global Action Plan (GAP) on promoting the health of refugees and migrants in 2019, including the first global monitoring framework.The World Health Organisation (WHO) established its Health and Migration programme in 2020.It also highlighted WHO’s work, which it described as essential in framing migration as a determinant of health, strengthening inclusive governance, and supporting member states in developing migrant-sensitive health systems. It said that there is still a massive demand for guidance and engagement from member states, as shown by the support for extending the GAP to 2030.However, it said that WHO’s (and the UN’s) health and migration work is facing organisational restructuring and funding constraints.“The loss or weakening of WHO’s dedicated Health and Migration capacity would be a major blow to global health equity, particularly at a time of rising xenophobia, policy regressions, and increasing displacement,” it said.Noting that WHO plays a unique role as a norm-setting body, with a mandate that explicitly includes the health of people on the move, it said that the world health body’s withdrawal would leave a gap in both technical guidance and moral leadership, especially for undocumented migrants, those in protracted displacement, and transit migrants who are overlooked by policies and services.
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