WHO / REFUGEES AND MIGRANTS HEALTH
20-Jul-2022
00:05:48
Around the world, millions of refugees and migrants in vulnerable situations, such as low-skilled migrant workers, face poorer health outcomes than their host communities, especially where living and working conditions are sub-standard, according to the first World Health Organization (WHO) World report on the health of refugees and migrants. WHO
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STORY: WHO / REFUGEES AND MIGRANTS HEALTH
TRT: 05:48
SOURCE: WHO
RESTRICTIONS: PLEASE CREDIT WHO ON SCREEN
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 20 JUL 2022, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND / FILE
TRT: 05:48
SOURCE: WHO
RESTRICTIONS: PLEASE CREDIT WHO ON SCREEN
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 20 JUL 2022, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND / FILE
SHOTLIST
FILE - 20 JUL 2022, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
1. Wide shot, exterior WHO Headquarters
20 JUL 2022, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
2. Wide shot, press conference
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO):
"Today, WHO is proud to launch the first World Report on the health of refugees and migrants. One in every eight people on our planet is a refugee or migrant, and the numbers are growing. With conflicts, climate change, growing inequality, and global emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic, more and more people will be on the move. Like anyone else, refugees and migrants have the right to the highest attainable standard of health. But the health needs of refugees and migrants are often neglected or unaddressed in the countries they pass through, or settle in. "
4. Wide shot, press conference
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO):
"The WHO World Report on the health of refugees and migrants is a landmark and an alarm bell. It provides a comprehensive overview of refugee and migrant health, demonstrating wide disparities between the health of refugees and migrants and the wider populations in their host countries. For example, many migrant workers are engaged in the so-called “3-D” jobs – dirty, dangerous, and demanding – without adequate social and health protection, or sufficient occupational health measures. The report also highlights a fundamental knowledge gap: refugees and migrants are virtually absent from global surveys and health data, making these vulnerable groups almost invisible in the design of health systems and services."
6. Wide shot, press conference
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO):
"WHO is calling on governments and organizations that work with refugees and migrants to work together to empower them through participatory governance; to include them in the data; to prioritize them in research; and to include them in social protection schemes and financial protection in accessing health systems worldwide. Because health for all means all, including refugees and migrants."
8. Wide shot, press conference
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Abdulrazak Gurnah, Novelist and Professor, Nobel Prize in Literature 2021:
"I urge planners, policymakers and donors alike to use the wealth of information found in this report to inform decision making. I would also like to invite them to consider the action points for governments and other stakeholders around the world to step up efforts and make good health and well-being a reality for all members of society of which refugees and migrants are an integral part."
10. Wide shot, press conference
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Waheed Arian, Humanitarian and Refugee Advocate, Emergency Doctor, NHS:
"We came under the attack three times, miraculously survived those attacks until we made it to the refugee camp. Initially, we started resigning in a tent like so many others. And again, the temperatures were rising up to 45 degrees with one fan and a large family trying to use whatever we can to survive, and these are the sort of conditions that are ripe for several conditions, diseases such as malaria and tuberculosis. Many of my family members, including myself, we got malaria. We survived that. And soon I contracted tuberculosis. That nearly killed me, but also inspired me to become a doctor."
12. Wide shot, press conference
13. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Waheed Arian, Humanitarian and Refugee Advocate, Emergency Doctor, NHS:
"The conditions that we see in refugee camps now in various parts of the world, they're not too dissimilar to the conditions that I experienced first-hand. Although we were safe from bombs, we were not physically safe. We were not socially safe, and we were not mentally safe."
14. Wide shot, press conference
15. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO):
"In the past six weeks, the global weekly number of reported cases of COVID-19 has almost doubled. Deaths are also increasing, but for the moment, not as rapidly as cases. However, more cases means we can expect to see more hospitalizations and deaths in the coming weeks. There are many sub lineages of the Omicron variant, most notably BA.5, which is the most transmissible variant detected yet."
16. Wide shot, press conference
17. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO):
"On monkeypox, almost 14 thousand confirmed cases have now been reported to WHO this year, from more than 70 countries and territories. So far, five deaths have been reported, all in Africa. Most cases continue to be reported from Europe, primarily among men who have sex with men. Although we are seeing a declining trend in some countries, others are still seeing an increase, and six countries reported their first cases last week. Some of these countries have much less access to diagnostics and vaccines, making the outbreak harder to track, and harder to stop. WHO is validating, procuring and shipping tests to multiple countries and will continue to provide support for expanded access to effective diagnostics."
18. Wide shot, press conference
1. Wide shot, exterior WHO Headquarters
20 JUL 2022, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
2. Wide shot, press conference
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO):
"Today, WHO is proud to launch the first World Report on the health of refugees and migrants. One in every eight people on our planet is a refugee or migrant, and the numbers are growing. With conflicts, climate change, growing inequality, and global emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic, more and more people will be on the move. Like anyone else, refugees and migrants have the right to the highest attainable standard of health. But the health needs of refugees and migrants are often neglected or unaddressed in the countries they pass through, or settle in. "
4. Wide shot, press conference
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO):
"The WHO World Report on the health of refugees and migrants is a landmark and an alarm bell. It provides a comprehensive overview of refugee and migrant health, demonstrating wide disparities between the health of refugees and migrants and the wider populations in their host countries. For example, many migrant workers are engaged in the so-called “3-D” jobs – dirty, dangerous, and demanding – without adequate social and health protection, or sufficient occupational health measures. The report also highlights a fundamental knowledge gap: refugees and migrants are virtually absent from global surveys and health data, making these vulnerable groups almost invisible in the design of health systems and services."
6. Wide shot, press conference
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO):
"WHO is calling on governments and organizations that work with refugees and migrants to work together to empower them through participatory governance; to include them in the data; to prioritize them in research; and to include them in social protection schemes and financial protection in accessing health systems worldwide. Because health for all means all, including refugees and migrants."
8. Wide shot, press conference
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Abdulrazak Gurnah, Novelist and Professor, Nobel Prize in Literature 2021:
"I urge planners, policymakers and donors alike to use the wealth of information found in this report to inform decision making. I would also like to invite them to consider the action points for governments and other stakeholders around the world to step up efforts and make good health and well-being a reality for all members of society of which refugees and migrants are an integral part."
10. Wide shot, press conference
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Waheed Arian, Humanitarian and Refugee Advocate, Emergency Doctor, NHS:
"We came under the attack three times, miraculously survived those attacks until we made it to the refugee camp. Initially, we started resigning in a tent like so many others. And again, the temperatures were rising up to 45 degrees with one fan and a large family trying to use whatever we can to survive, and these are the sort of conditions that are ripe for several conditions, diseases such as malaria and tuberculosis. Many of my family members, including myself, we got malaria. We survived that. And soon I contracted tuberculosis. That nearly killed me, but also inspired me to become a doctor."
12. Wide shot, press conference
13. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Waheed Arian, Humanitarian and Refugee Advocate, Emergency Doctor, NHS:
"The conditions that we see in refugee camps now in various parts of the world, they're not too dissimilar to the conditions that I experienced first-hand. Although we were safe from bombs, we were not physically safe. We were not socially safe, and we were not mentally safe."
14. Wide shot, press conference
15. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO):
"In the past six weeks, the global weekly number of reported cases of COVID-19 has almost doubled. Deaths are also increasing, but for the moment, not as rapidly as cases. However, more cases means we can expect to see more hospitalizations and deaths in the coming weeks. There are many sub lineages of the Omicron variant, most notably BA.5, which is the most transmissible variant detected yet."
16. Wide shot, press conference
17. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO):
"On monkeypox, almost 14 thousand confirmed cases have now been reported to WHO this year, from more than 70 countries and territories. So far, five deaths have been reported, all in Africa. Most cases continue to be reported from Europe, primarily among men who have sex with men. Although we are seeing a declining trend in some countries, others are still seeing an increase, and six countries reported their first cases last week. Some of these countries have much less access to diagnostics and vaccines, making the outbreak harder to track, and harder to stop. WHO is validating, procuring and shipping tests to multiple countries and will continue to provide support for expanded access to effective diagnostics."
18. Wide shot, press conference
STORYLINE
Around the world, millions of refugees and migrants in vulnerable situations, such as low-skilled migrant workers, face poorer health outcomes than their host communities, especially where living and working conditions are sub-standard, according to the first World Health Organization (WHO) World report on the health of refugees and migrants.
At the launch of the report today (20 Jul) in Geneva, the Head of the WHO, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, "one in every eight people on our planet is a refugee or migrant, and the numbers are growing. With conflicts, climate change, growing inequality, and global emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic, more and more people will be on the move. Like anyone else, refugees and migrants have the right to the highest attainable standard of health. But the health needs of refugees and migrants are often neglected or unaddressed in the countries they pass through, or settle in. "
Based on an extensive review of literature from around the world, the report demonstrates that refugees and migrants are not inherently less healthy than host populations. It is, rather, the impact of the various suboptimal health determinants, such as education, income, housing, access to services, compounded by linguistic, cultural, legal and other barriers and the interaction of these during the life course, that are behind poor health outcomes. This has dire consequences for the probability that the world will not achieve the health-related Sustainable Development Goals for these populations.
Tedros said the WHO report “is a landmark and an alarm bell” and “provides a comprehensive overview of refugee and migrant health, demonstrating wide disparities between the health of refugees and migrants and the wider populations in their host countries.”
Evidence also showed that a significant number of the 169 million migrant workers globally are engaged in dirty, dangerous, and demanding jobs and are at greater risk of occupational accidents, injuries, and work-related health problems than their non-migrant counterparts, conditions exacerbated by their often limited or restricted access to and use of health services.
The WHO Director-General said, “many migrant workers are engaged in the so-called “3-D” jobs – dirty, dangerous, and demanding – without adequate social and health protection, or sufficient occupational health measures. The report also highlights a fundamental knowledge gap: refugees and migrants are virtually absent from global surveys and health data, making these vulnerable groups almost invisible in the design of health systems and services."
The report reiterates that the experience of migration and displacement is a key factor in a person’s health and wellbeing, especially when combined with other determinants. For example, a recent meta-analysis of more than 17 million participants from 16 countries across five WHO regions found that, compared with non-migrant workers, migrant workers were less likely to use health services and more likely to have an occupational injury.
Tedros called on governments and organizations that work with refugees and migrants “to work together to empower them through participatory governance; to include them in the data; to prioritize them in research; and to include them in social protection schemes and financial protection in accessing health systems worldwide. Because health for all means all, including refugees and migrants."
The Report demonstrated critical gaps in data and health information systems regarding the health of refugees and migrants – while data and evidence are plentiful, they are fragmented and not comparable across countries and over time. Although these mobile populations are sometimes identifiable in global datasets used for SDG monitoring, health data are often missing from migration statistics and migratory status variables are often missing from health statistics. This makes it difficult to determine and track progress for refugees and migrants towards the health-related SDGs.
Speaking at the launch of the report, Nobel Prize in Literature 2021 Abdulrazak Gurnah urged planners, policymakers and donors “to use the wealth of information found in this report to inform decision making.
For his part, Humanitarian and Refugee Advocate Waheed Arian said, "We came under the attack three times, miraculously survived those attacks until we made it to the refugee camp. Initially, we started resigning in a tent like so many others. And again, the temperatures were rising up to 45 degrees with one fan and a large family trying to use whatever we can to survive, and these are the sort of conditions that are ripe for several conditions, diseases such as malaria and tuberculosis. Many of my family members, including myself, we got malaria. We survived that. And soon I contracted tuberculosis. That nearly killed me, but also inspired me to become a doctor."
Arian said, “the conditions that we see in refugee camps now in various parts of the world, they're not too dissimilar to the conditions that I experienced first-hand. Although we were safe from bombs, we were not physically safe. We were not socially safe, and we were not mentally safe."
While lack of comparable data on the health of refugees and migrants across countries and over time often impedes good policy development towards health equity, policies and frameworks do exist that address and respond to the health needs of refugees and migrants. However, disparities in health outcomes remain and the report shows that they are mainly due to a lack of meaningful and effective implementation of policies.
Refugees and migrants can introduce innovative ideas that drive economic and social transformation. The Report highlights the extraordinary contributions of refugee and migrant healthcare workers to the COVID-19 frontline response. One of the most notable was the contributions of migrants in several countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), which were particularly significant when in some countries as many as half of doctors or nurses are foreign born.
Implementing inclusive health systems that conform to the principle of right to health for all and universal health coverage would permit individuals in need of health services to be identified and supported early, before many problems become acute. Health systems are only as strong as their weakest link. The inclusion of refugees and migrants is a worthwhile investment for the development and wellbeing of societies around the world.
Providing an update of the COVID-19 situation, Tedros said, “in the past six weeks, the global weekly number of reported cases of COVID-19 has almost doubled. Deaths are also increasing, but for the moment, not as rapidly as cases. However, more cases means we can expect to see more hospitalizations and deaths in the coming weeks. There are many sub lineages of the Omicron variant, most notably BA.5, which is the most transmissible variant detected yet."
On monkeypox, he said, “almost 14 thousand confirmed cases have now been reported to WHO this year, from more than 70 countries and territories. So far, five deaths have been reported, all in Africa. Most cases continue to be reported from Europe, primarily among men who have sex with men. Although we are seeing a declining trend in some countries, others are still seeing an increase, and six countries reported their first cases last week. Some of these countries have much less access to diagnostics and vaccines, making the outbreak harder to track, and harder to stop. WHO is validating, procuring and shipping tests to multiple countries and will continue to provide support for expanded access to effective diagnostics."
At the launch of the report today (20 Jul) in Geneva, the Head of the WHO, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, "one in every eight people on our planet is a refugee or migrant, and the numbers are growing. With conflicts, climate change, growing inequality, and global emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic, more and more people will be on the move. Like anyone else, refugees and migrants have the right to the highest attainable standard of health. But the health needs of refugees and migrants are often neglected or unaddressed in the countries they pass through, or settle in. "
Based on an extensive review of literature from around the world, the report demonstrates that refugees and migrants are not inherently less healthy than host populations. It is, rather, the impact of the various suboptimal health determinants, such as education, income, housing, access to services, compounded by linguistic, cultural, legal and other barriers and the interaction of these during the life course, that are behind poor health outcomes. This has dire consequences for the probability that the world will not achieve the health-related Sustainable Development Goals for these populations.
Tedros said the WHO report “is a landmark and an alarm bell” and “provides a comprehensive overview of refugee and migrant health, demonstrating wide disparities between the health of refugees and migrants and the wider populations in their host countries.”
Evidence also showed that a significant number of the 169 million migrant workers globally are engaged in dirty, dangerous, and demanding jobs and are at greater risk of occupational accidents, injuries, and work-related health problems than their non-migrant counterparts, conditions exacerbated by their often limited or restricted access to and use of health services.
The WHO Director-General said, “many migrant workers are engaged in the so-called “3-D” jobs – dirty, dangerous, and demanding – without adequate social and health protection, or sufficient occupational health measures. The report also highlights a fundamental knowledge gap: refugees and migrants are virtually absent from global surveys and health data, making these vulnerable groups almost invisible in the design of health systems and services."
The report reiterates that the experience of migration and displacement is a key factor in a person’s health and wellbeing, especially when combined with other determinants. For example, a recent meta-analysis of more than 17 million participants from 16 countries across five WHO regions found that, compared with non-migrant workers, migrant workers were less likely to use health services and more likely to have an occupational injury.
Tedros called on governments and organizations that work with refugees and migrants “to work together to empower them through participatory governance; to include them in the data; to prioritize them in research; and to include them in social protection schemes and financial protection in accessing health systems worldwide. Because health for all means all, including refugees and migrants."
The Report demonstrated critical gaps in data and health information systems regarding the health of refugees and migrants – while data and evidence are plentiful, they are fragmented and not comparable across countries and over time. Although these mobile populations are sometimes identifiable in global datasets used for SDG monitoring, health data are often missing from migration statistics and migratory status variables are often missing from health statistics. This makes it difficult to determine and track progress for refugees and migrants towards the health-related SDGs.
Speaking at the launch of the report, Nobel Prize in Literature 2021 Abdulrazak Gurnah urged planners, policymakers and donors “to use the wealth of information found in this report to inform decision making.
For his part, Humanitarian and Refugee Advocate Waheed Arian said, "We came under the attack three times, miraculously survived those attacks until we made it to the refugee camp. Initially, we started resigning in a tent like so many others. And again, the temperatures were rising up to 45 degrees with one fan and a large family trying to use whatever we can to survive, and these are the sort of conditions that are ripe for several conditions, diseases such as malaria and tuberculosis. Many of my family members, including myself, we got malaria. We survived that. And soon I contracted tuberculosis. That nearly killed me, but also inspired me to become a doctor."
Arian said, “the conditions that we see in refugee camps now in various parts of the world, they're not too dissimilar to the conditions that I experienced first-hand. Although we were safe from bombs, we were not physically safe. We were not socially safe, and we were not mentally safe."
While lack of comparable data on the health of refugees and migrants across countries and over time often impedes good policy development towards health equity, policies and frameworks do exist that address and respond to the health needs of refugees and migrants. However, disparities in health outcomes remain and the report shows that they are mainly due to a lack of meaningful and effective implementation of policies.
Refugees and migrants can introduce innovative ideas that drive economic and social transformation. The Report highlights the extraordinary contributions of refugee and migrant healthcare workers to the COVID-19 frontline response. One of the most notable was the contributions of migrants in several countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), which were particularly significant when in some countries as many as half of doctors or nurses are foreign born.
Implementing inclusive health systems that conform to the principle of right to health for all and universal health coverage would permit individuals in need of health services to be identified and supported early, before many problems become acute. Health systems are only as strong as their weakest link. The inclusion of refugees and migrants is a worthwhile investment for the development and wellbeing of societies around the world.
Providing an update of the COVID-19 situation, Tedros said, “in the past six weeks, the global weekly number of reported cases of COVID-19 has almost doubled. Deaths are also increasing, but for the moment, not as rapidly as cases. However, more cases means we can expect to see more hospitalizations and deaths in the coming weeks. There are many sub lineages of the Omicron variant, most notably BA.5, which is the most transmissible variant detected yet."
On monkeypox, he said, “almost 14 thousand confirmed cases have now been reported to WHO this year, from more than 70 countries and territories. So far, five deaths have been reported, all in Africa. Most cases continue to be reported from Europe, primarily among men who have sex with men. Although we are seeing a declining trend in some countries, others are still seeing an increase, and six countries reported their first cases last week. Some of these countries have much less access to diagnostics and vaccines, making the outbreak harder to track, and harder to stop. WHO is validating, procuring and shipping tests to multiple countries and will continue to provide support for expanded access to effective diagnostics."
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