As 2018 draws to a close, nearly 3,400 migrants and refugees have lost their lives worldwide, according to the United Nations. That is why the UN has declared Migration with Dignity the theme of 2018’s International Migrants Day (18 December)

On 5 December the UCL-Lancet Commission on Migration and Health released its report. “The Commission’s foundation is that migration and health are inextricably linked—and key to sustainable development,” says the Executive Summary.

"When you look at facts and evidence, not just opinion, migrants contribute to better health for migrants, for host communities and those in their countries of origin." - Commissioner Prof. Ibrahim Abubakar

Concerning NCDs, one of the report’s findings is: “Increasingly people are moving with established non-communicable diseases and often combined with a double burden of communicable diseases.

Continuous treatment interrupted

"The interruption of care during transit—due to barriers to health access, documentation, absence of health-care providers, or disrupted health systems—prevents the continuous treatment necessary for the effective management of many chronic health conditions.”

In a speech, Commissioner Prof. Ibrahim Abubakar, who is Director of the UCL Institute for Global Health, noted, "When you look at facts and evidence, not just opinion, migrants contribute to better health for migrants, for host communities and those in their countries of origin."

The report's Executive Summary concludes that, “using the lens of health the Commission shows that migration policies can be both ethical and feasible—calling for governments, international agencies, and professionals to promote health in global mobility.”
 

Download the report.