Theme COHEHRE Conference 2009 – Tallinn, Estonia

Health of migrants and displaced persons – implications for education

Today, due to different circumstances, most countries whose institutions are members of COHEHRE, have among their populations people that have migrated and others that are displaced. There are migrations movements from outside to inside Europe, but also inside Europe. The Bologna declaration is a good example that free circulation (with respective accreditation of degrees) is an aim.


These people have their own culture, their own system of values and their own health beliefs, which are often different from those of the incoming country.


Maybe some of them are migrants on their own choice and are therefore more willingly to adjust and integrate in the incoming country.


However, most of them have had no choice (for economic, cultural, political, religious or social reasons) and are faced with a whole new system, which they do not know, most times do not understand and that eventually may go against their own system of values and health beliefs.


Regardless of specific circumstances, different issues are transversal, here are some of them:

- Are there any policies in our countries to safeguard the access to health care of migrants and displaced persons? What is the role of educating institutions in lobbying for such policies?

- Is there equal access to health care services? Is the system prepared for such differences? What is the role of educating institutions?

- Are health care professionals prepared to understand and respect values and health beliefs’ differences? Do health professionals have the necessary competencies to provide effective care to different groups in society? Are the clinical tools adjusted to people with different cultures and health needs (tools are normally valid to one group or population)?

- What is the role of educators in these issues? Do we have examples of good practices where these competencies are developed?