The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) this Monday launched the Information Platform on Health and Immigration in the Americas, a new initiative to help countries protect the right to health of immigrants in the region.

According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the number of migrants in Latin America and the Caribbean has more than doubled since 2005, reaching 15 million in 2022.

However, health and migration data gaps present challenges when it comes to developing informed public health interventions for migrants.

The new platform aims to fill the regional data gap by providing countries with an interactive digital repository of research and information on health and migration in the Americas. This will facilitate the exchange of information and allow governments to develop policies and initiatives that respond to the needs of the growing number of migrants.

Poverty, violence, political instability, food insecurity, economic hardship and environmental events are among the main drivers of migration in America. The region is also characterized by northward migration flows both from within the continent and from parts of Africa and Asia.

The long-term social, health and economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have exacerbated many of these problems.

Dr. “Today, millions of migrants in the region face challenges at every stage of the migration process, without access to primary health care, medicines, vaccines or mental health services and psychosocial support,” said Jarbas Barbosa. PAHO.

“Language and cultural differences and discrimination are just some of the factors that hinder timely access to care,” he added.

The tool was developed in collaboration with the University of Torcuato Di Tella in Argentina and the Universidad del Desarrollo in Chile and will provide governments with information on the policies, legal and regulatory frameworks of 19 countries in the region on health and immigration, as well as serve as a repository of scientific literature on the subject. .

Dr. Barbosa’s easy-to-use information platform on health and migration aims to promote “action to protect the health of immigrants, the health of populations in host countries, and move closer to achieving universal health.”

Health and immigration in America

Millions of immigrants in the Americas face a range of health barriers, including a lack of access to basic healthcare, medicines, vaccines and mental health services.

Immigrants may also be at increased risk of exposure to COVID-19 due to poor living and working conditions that hinder physical distancing, particularly in shelters.

During the migration process, immigrant children and adolescents, elderly immigrants and pregnant women also face additional health risks such as interruption of prenatal and postnatal services, dehydration, hypertension, exposure to violence and gender abuse.

Press release