Health system strengthening interventions to improve the health of displaced and migrant populations in the context of climate change

Climate change disrupts health systems, widens health inequities, and drives human migration and displacement. This puts the health of migrant and displaced populations at greater risk. Despite the intertwined nature of these phenomena, efforts to build climate-resilient and migrant-sensitive health systems are often isolated.

This report in the World Health Organization’s Global Evidence Review on Health and Migration identifies 95 health system interventions addressing the critical nexus of climate and migration. It calls for policymakers to shift to proactive, long-term strategies to ensure health systems are migrant-inclusive and climate-resilient.

Key messages include:

•  Many innovative interventions are emerging, but existing, proven health system interventions can also be adapted to meet the dual demands of migration and environmental change.
• Engaging with displaced and migrant populations is important to ensure that interventions are tailored to their specific needs.
• It is crucial to ensure a migration lens is applied to the climate-resilient health systems agenda, and a climate lens is applied to migration health efforts.