Coordinated efforts, and coherent and comprehensive responses with whole-of-government and whole-of-society approaches based on shared values, evidence and multisectoral policy dialogues are required to address the health needs of refugees and migrants. In this regard, WHO jointly organized the 2nd Global Consultation on Migrant Health with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) on 21 - 23 February 2017, in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The consultation was hosted by the Government of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. More than 90 participants from governments, United Nations bodies, academia, researchers, non-governmental organizations and other multi-sectoral partners participated in the consultation.
More people are on the move now than ever before. There are an estimated 1 billion migrants in the world today of whom 258 million are international migrants and 763 million internal migrants – one in seven of the world’s population. 68 million of the world’s internal and international migrants are forcibly displaced today. This rapid increase of population movement has important public health implications, and therefore requires an adequate response from the health sector.
The right of everyone to enjoy the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health is established in the WHO Constitution of 1948. Ratified international human rights standards and conventions exist to protect the rights of migrants and refugees, including their right to health. Nevertheless, many refugees and migrants often lack access to health services and financial protection for health.
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