Migration, displacement and health systems

Connecting Citizens to Science

In this fifth episode of our six-part miniseries (see notes for 'useful links' to other episodes), we examine the intersection of migration, displacement, and health systems in fragile settings. With over 1 billion people on the move globally, including 84 million forcibly displaced, this episode addresses the challenges and opportunities that migration presents to health systems.

Our co-host, Dr. Joanna Raven, joins us alongside Professor Fouad Fouad and Dr. Santino Severoni, to share their experiences and insights on how health systems can respond to the needs of migrants and refugees through integration, cultural changes, and evidence-based practices.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to the discussion on migration, displacement, and health systems resilience in fragile settings

01:00 Meet the Experts: Professor Fouad Mohammad Fouad and Dr. Santino Severoni

02:56 Global Migration and Displacement: Setting the Scene

07:56 Challenges Faced by Health Systems

09:13 Integration and Parallel Health Systems

13:11 WHO's Role and Strategic Approaches

17:11 Examples of Good Practices from Different Countries

21:48 Final Thoughts and Advice for Future Work

24:12 Conclusion and Next Episode Teaser

In this episode:

Dr Joanna Raven - Reader in health systems, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine

Jo has worked in global health for more than 25 years, focusing on strengthening health systems. Jo is a researcher with a passion for co-designing and implementing health system research with local stakeholders including community members, health workers, health managers and decision makers. As a health worker herself, Jo’s work focuses on supporting the health workforce to deliver people-centred care that is of good quality and leaves no one behind.

Dr. Fouad Fouad - Professor of Global Health and Social Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine

Fouad has extensive research on migration and health, focusing on multidisciplinary approaches to forced displacement, health systems in humanitarian settings, and the political economy of health in protracted crises. Fouad is also the IDRC Chair of the Forced Displacement Program in the Middle East and the Co-Director of the Refugee Health Program at the Global Health Institute. His role as a member of several technical working groups, including the WHO Global Consultation on the Health of Migrants and Refugees and the Global Research Agenda on Health and Migration, underscores his expertise and influence in the field. Fouad served as a commissioner in the UCL-Lancet Commission on Migration and Health (2018) and is currently a commissioner in the Lancet Commission on Health, Conflict, and Forced Migration.

Dr. Santino Severoni - Director of the WHO Department of Health and Migration, World Health Organization

Dr. Severoni is the Director of the Department of Health and Migration at WHO headquarters in Geneva. With over 24 years of experience, he has held senior roles at the WHO Regional Office for Europe and worked globally in health sector reforms, system strengthening, and complex emergency management. His career includes serving as WHO Representative in Albania and Tajikistan. Since 2011, he has focused on public health aspects of migration, leading efforts to implement global migration and refugee compacts and coordinating WHO’s first World Report on the Health of Refugees and Migrants.

Useful links

• WHO global action plan on promoting the health of refugees and migrants, 2019–2030
• Promoting the health of refugees and migrants: experiences from around the world - Compendium referenced by Dr. Santino
• Health and Migration Programme
• Fouad M Fouad: enriching the dialogue on displacement and health
• Non-state and informal actors in fragile settings - Connecting Citizens to Science - In this episode, we explore the critical role of non-state actors and informal providers in health systems within fragile settings. Our guests share insights on their legitimacy, roles during emergencies, and the challenges they face. This is the fourth episode in the six-part miniseries "Stories of Resilience: Local Lives and Health Systems," brought to you by ReBUILD for Resilience (see ‘useful links’ for links to the other episodes from the series).
• The Health Workforce in Times of Crisis - Connecting Citizens to Science - This episode is the third part of the six-part mini-series "Stories of Resilience: Local Lives and Health Systems," brought to you by ReBUILD for Resilience. In this episode, we discuss the challenges faced by the health workforce in fragile settings such as conflict zones and areas hit by political and economic crises. Our guests share their first-hand experiences and insights on how health systems and workers strive to provide care under extreme conditions.
• Gender, health systems resilience and equity - Connecting Citizens to Science - In the second episode of a six-part mini-series by ReBUILD for Resilience, we explore the intersection of gender and health systems in fragile settings. Hosted by Kim and co-hosted by Abriti Arjyal from HERD International, the episode features insights from Dr. Rouham Yamout from the American University of Beirut and Dr. Val Percival from the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs (NPSIA) at Carleton University. The discussion covers the impact of gender dynamics on health systems during crises like the COVID-19 pandemic and armed conflicts, emphasising community-led, participatory approaches to promote gender equality and resilience in health systems.
• Revisiting Resilience in Health Systems Research - Connecting Citizens to Science - This conversation is the first part of a mini-series titled 'Stories of Resilience - Local Lives and Health Systems', powered by the ReBUILD for Resilience research consortium. This podcast episode, hosted by Dr. Kim Ozano and co-hosted by Professor Sophie Witter, engages in an insightful discussion on health systems resilience, particularly in fragile settings affected by violence, conflict, pandemics, and other shocks.
• Introducing ReBUILD for Resilience - health systems researchRebuild Consortium - ReBUILD for Resilience builds on the work started during the highly successful ReBUILD programme but focuses on a wider range of stressors in a wider range of contexts – fragile and shock-prone settings.

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