On 20 June every year, WHO joins UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and partners in marking World Refugee Day. This year's campaign focuses on solidarity with refugees – for a world where refugees are welcomed, universal health coverage must include them as well.
At the end of 2023, an estimated 117.3 million people worldwide were forcibly displaced due to persecution, conflict, violence, human rights violations and events seriously disturbing the public order.
Refugees may have unique health needs due to pre-existing health conditions, social circumstances, and the hazards they may face during their journey. They often experience discrimination, isolation, inadequate access to health and social services, and poor working and living conditions – all impacting their health and well-being.
Faced with language, cultural and other barriers, refugees may not understand how different health systems work or what support they are entitled to. As a result, their needs and right to health may not be met.
Refugees need our solidarity now.
Solidarity means supporting their health needs through local, national, regional, and global efforts. It involves listening to their health needs, easing their access to health care with applicable policies, collaborating with relevant partners, and finding solutions to ensure universal health coverage.
Solutions to improve the health and well-being of refugees
Many governments and partners worldwide are working within and across countries to adopt strategies, policies, and plans to address many refugee-related challenges and improve their health and well-being.
In October 2023, in the spirit of leaving no one behind, the Action Plan for Refugee and Migrant Health in the WHO European Region 2023–2030 was adopted at the WHO Regional Committee for Europe at its 73rd session.
The Action Plan identifies 5 strategic priorities (action pillars):
- ensure refugees and migrants benefit from universal health coverage;
- implement inclusive emergency and disaster risk reduction policies and actions;
- develop inclusive environments that promote public health, social inclusion and well-being;
- strengthen migration health governance and evidence- and data-driven policy-making; and
- explore innovative ways of working and developing enabling partnerships.
Throughout the implementation of the previous Strategy and Action Plan for Refugee and Migrant Health in the WHO European Region, the Region has made significant progress, such as improved accessibility and inclusivity of migrants and refugees within national health systems, and greater consideration paid to health and migration in national and subnational policies and practices. The first progress evaluation for the Action Plan (2023–2030) will be made in 2025.
Refugee health, global health and development
Refugees bring many skills that can benefit and enrich host countries and communities. They contribute to social and economic growth and development, and promoting their physical and mental health and well-being is a crucial enabling factor.
Promoting their health requires continuous and timely access to quality health services and programmes that respect their cultural, religious, and linguistic needs and recognize the impact of displacement on their physical and mental health.
Health workers that can identify and employ culturally-responsive behaviours, practices, and communications techniques in hosting and receiving countries play a vital role in providing people-centred health services and building the resilience of health systems to respond to the health needs of these populations.
WHO's work
WHO assists countries in reorienting health systems towards including refugees in primary health care as a foundation of universal health coverage. This involves providing inclusive and integrated health services to meet people's health needs throughout their lives; addressing the root causes behind poor health outcomes, including critical non-medical factors, such as education, income, employment and working conditions, and social support networks through policy and action that go beyond the health sector; and empowering individuals, families, and communities to take charge of their health.
WHO supports Member States by setting norms and standards on the health of refugees and migrants, co-developing guidance and tools, and promoting global, regional, and national research agendas for evidence-informed policy-making and interventions.
The first Global Research Agenda on Health and Migration led by the Health and Migration Programme (PHM) in 2022 and 2023 aims to strengthen global collaboration around health and migration research and improve the translation of knowledge into policy and practice, driving evidence-informed research that addresses the evolving challenges and health needs of refugees and migrants.
WHO is currently partnering with the International Organization for Migration and the European Union (EU) to implement a joint project that seeks to improve access to health-care services for refugees and displaced people from Ukraine registered under Temporary Protection. Temporary protection is an exceptional measure to provide immediate and temporary protection to displaced persons from non-EU countries and those unable to return to their country of origin. The project, funded by the 2023 EU4Health Work Programme, runs from 2023 until 2025. It is implemented in 10 refugee-hosting countries: Bulgaria, Czechia, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Republic of Moldova, Romania and Slovakia.