Toolkit for assessing health system capacity to manage large influxes of refugees, asylum-seekers and migrants (2016)

2016, viii + 49 pages
ISBN 978 92 890 5203 0
This publication is only available online.

In recent years, the WHO European Region has seen a marked increase in arrivals of mixed flows of refugees, asylum-seekers and migrants. Their journey to Europe is often long and treacherous, with numerous health and safety risks along the way. It is imperative that the health needs of these vulnerable groups be addressed by transiting and receiving countries using human rights principles and with careful coordination across sectors.

The toolkit for assessing health system capacity to manage large influxes of refugees, asylum-seekers and migrants was developed by the WHO Public Health Aspects of Migration in Europe (PHAME) project of the Migration and Health Programme because refugees, asylum-seekers and migrants arriving in large groups present a particular set of individual and public health needs, and assessment of preparedness and capacity requires a specialized approach. The aim of the toolkit is to support national ministries of health in leading multisectoral collaboration to optimize the capacity of the health sector to manage large influxes of refugees, asylum-seekers and migrants, consequently improving their health and reducing health inequities.