Health Care For Migrant Populations Strategies For...

Overcoming Barriers to Equitable and Effective Health Care for Migrant Populations: Strategies for Health Systems Shoshanna Fine, GHP 272 Midterm Essay Introduction Current trends in global migration emphasize its importance as a leading policy issue worldwide. A recent United Nations report estimates that as of 2013, there were 232 million international migrants worldwide, with the number of international migrants increasing by over 50% between 1990 and 2013. Furthermore, assuming that migration continues to increase at the same pace that it has for the past 20 years, the International Organization for Migration’s 2010 World Migration Report estimates that there could be as many as 405 million migrants worldwide by 2050. Although there†¦show more content†¦Migrants face significant barriers to health at every level of the health system. They often face structural and political barriers resulting from the absence of national policies addressing migrant rights, and the lack of equitable coverage by host country health insurance programs. They face institutional barriers as a consequence of national deficiencies in effective, migrant-sensitive health services. Finally, they face individual barriers arising from cultural, social, and linguistic challenges in adapting to new health systems. Without a comprehensive approach to migrant health that addresses these barriers to care – from the structural to the individual level – heath systems will not be able to effectively and equitably reach their migrant populations. It is essential for countries to balance the adoption of equitable migrant-supportive health policies with the strengthening of effective supports at the community level. By examining how these different levels of care can act in concert, as well as innovative approaches taken by several countries in responding to the influx of international migrants, we can begin to understand the