Enhancing Health Literacy Approaches for Migrants, Mobile Populations and Host Communities

1. ECOSOC Annual Ministerial ReviewRegional Ministerial Meeting for Asia and the Pacific on “Promoting Health Literacy”29-30 April 2009, Beijing Enhancing Health Literacy Approaches for Migrants, Mobile Populations and Host Communities International Organization for Migration - IOM

2. International Organization for Migration - IOM • Global intergovernmental body focused on all aspects of migration • 125 Member States and 94 Observer States and other Organizations • Field-oriented, with offices in 430 locations around the world, nearly 6700 staff, and a project base of approximately one billion dollars (US) in 2008 • Humane and orderly migration benefits migrants and society • Migration and Health is one of IOM’s primary areas of focus

3. Changes in Migration Patterns • PACE - faster mobility and migration • move DIVERSE types of migrants and mobile populations (regular, irregular; cross-border and internal) • One of every 35 persons is an international migrant. (IOM Migration World Report, 2005)

4. Migration and Health • Migration as such need not be a risk-factor to health • However, the circumstances surrounding the migration process can pose risks to health

5. Vulnerability and migrant health determinants origin No or limited access to health services, but many risk factors return transit destination

6. IOM looks at HEALTH as a positive migration outcome  advocate forrights of migrants to access health services, especially those who find themselves in vulnerable situations Well-managed migrant health benefits all Facilitates integration: healthy migrants are productive members of the community Stabilizes communities Migration and Health : Interlinked and Interdependent

7. Government ownership Involve migrants & community Primary Health Care pillars & Health system strengthening Inclusive: access to all Rights based Connectcountries Multi-sectoral Health literacy and  access  to health

8. World Health Assembly Resolution, 2008 : Migrants’ Health  Health information  Health promotion, disease prevention  Treatment and care  Referral systems  Health surveillance, research  Language, gender & culturally appropriate Engaging migrants & partners in improving migrant-friendly access to health care services

9. Examples of I0M/Government Information-Education-Communications Activities on HIV and Safe Mobility • Animation series • Series 1 ‘Love in the City’ - Labour Migration & HIV • Series 2 ‘On the Road’ - Highway Communities & HIV • Tailored training curriculum for HIV prevention and information in the infrastructure sector • Radio drama series • Life-skills activities manual, IEC materials ** Edutainment media – fun and informative • 8 episodes, 10 minutes per episode • Dubbed in Khmer, Lao, Myanmar, Thai and Vietnamese; English subtitles

10. Examples of I0M/Government Information-Education-Communications Activities on HIV and Safe Mobility “ For Life, with Life” - a behaviour change communications tool ( 1-minute film clip)

11. Chiang Rai Tak Bangkok Samutsakorn Ranong Pang Nga HEALTHY MIGRANTS, HEALTHY THAILAND! • To improve health and well-being among migrants in priority provinces of Thailand • -- a sustainable and replicable model on health system strengthening, includes health literacy activities • Key objectives : • To strengthen the capacity of health care providers and health authorities at all levels to provide accessible basic health services • To build the capacity of migrants and communities in assessing and providing health services to their peers and families • To create a replicable model for Migrant Health Program, sustainable model for migrant health services • To increase health literacy and promote positive health behaviors of migrants and most communities • To support positive migrant health • policy changes

12. Some Lessons Learned / Elements of Best Practices inMigrant Health Services and Health Literacy  Effective inclusive health literacy policies and delivery systems that include informed cultural mediators and/or health promoters/health care providers  Active community participation  by promoting health-seeking behaviours and trust (through health education and health literacy)  Use of balanced & innovative strategies that aim at equitable primary health care services also for the host communities  Orderly migration management including cross border health cooperation, understanding and services

13. In previous ECOSOC preparatory & related meetings, action points raised  Blending traditional health practices to health literacy approaches • Very limited information on health literacy in Asia and the Pacific  national, regional/sub-regional assessments – including a focus on migrants • In light of financial crisis – ensuring that health of the workforce including migrants is addressed: Healthy workforces = Healthy economies (China) • Effective health literacy strategy on environmental and climate change (ex. water table salinization in island States; population relocation and impacts on health) • Health literacy approaches on emerging/re-emerging communicable diseases , and non communicable diseases

14. Achieving MDGs, Migrants and Health LiteracyKey Messages • Healthy migrants = healthy communities • MDG Achievement will depend in many cases on focused inclusion of migrants in the target groups • Migrants have specific health needs and assessments and goals in health literacy need to be tailored for migrant groups and mobile populations

15. Mr. Charles Harns Regional Representative, Manila (charns@iom.int) Mr. Thomas Sinkovits Head of Office, Beijing (tsinkovits@iom.int) Dr. Nenette Motus Regional Migration Health Manager, Bangkok (nmotus@iom.int) Thank you!