On 25 November 2024, the World Health Organization (WHO) Health and Migration Department launched a training programme in Rome, Italy, which brought together policy-makers from various countries. The programme focused on refugees and migrants' health, guided by the Global Competency Standards for health workers.
This five-day course aimed at building the capacity of health policy-makers and health managers by equipping them with a range of competencies and behaviours needed to provide culturally sensitive and inclusive healthcare to refugees and migrants in their countries.
The orientation course involved the application of several learning approaches including open training sessions, sharing of experiences and insights, and role plays. Participants were encouraged to apply these approaches in their home countries to enhance health outcomes for refugees and migrants.
"The WHO Health and Migration Department is committed to setting standards and providing the guidance necessary to ensure that no one is left behind," said Dr Santino Severoni, Director of WHO's Department of Health and Migration. "That is why we developed the Global Refugee and Migrant Health Competency Standards, and why we are actively implementing them," he added.
The Global Orientation course for policy-makers on Refugee and Migrant Health: Global Competency Standards for health workers was organized by WHO's Health and Migration Department in collaboration with the Italian National Institute of Health, Migration and Poverty. The event brought together representatives from seven countries: Egypt, Estonia, Iraq, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon and Uganda.
Today, over 1 billion people are on the move, including 281 million international migrants and 123 million people forcibly displaced because of factors like conflicts and extreme weather conditions. Hundreds of millions still lack access to adequate healthcare. These challenges highlight the urgent need for health systems to adapt and be responsive to the needs of refugees, migrants and host communities. This calls for building resilient health systems where health leaders, policy-makers and service providers are equipped with the necessary skills and competences to provide culturally sensitive healthcare for the benefit of all.
