Government and Policy

Migration and Health: A Framework for 21st Century Policy-Making

Cathy Zimmerman , Ligia Kiss,Mazeda Hossain
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Summary

• Migration is a global phenomenon that influences the health of individuals and populations. • Policy-making on migration and health is conducted within sector silos that frequently have different goals. Population mobility is wholly compatible with health-promoting strategies for migrants if decision-makers coordinate across borders and policy sectors. • Policies to protect migrant and public health will be most effective if they address the multiple phases of the migratory process, including pre-departure, travel, destination, interception, and return. Health intervention opportunities exist at each stage. • This article forms the introduction to a PLoS Medicine series on Migration & Health, laying out a new framework for understanding the migratory process and the five phases of migration, which are discussed in depth in five subsequent articles.

Key Points

  • 1Migration significantly impacts individual and population health
  • 2Silos in policy-making hinder effective solutions for migrant health challenges
  • 3Addressing health requires coordinated efforts across migration phases: pre-departure, travel, destination, interception, and return
  • 4This framework lays the groundwork for subsequent articles discussing each phase in detail
  • 5Poor policy coordination can exacerbate health risks for migrants

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