INSTITUTION RESPONSIBLE FOR THE INITIATIVE
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Institute of Preventive Medicine, Environmental and Occupational Health, Prolepsis Greece
Address
Panepistimiou 30, 10679
TYPOLOGY
- Health services
TARGET GROUPS
- Newly arrived refugees
DESCRIPTION AND METHODOLOGIES
Mig-HealthCare - strengthening Community Based Care to minimize health inequalities and improve the integration of vulnerable migrants and refugees into local communities, is a three-year project that was launched in May 2017, with the financial support of the European Commission. The project is implemented by a consortium of Universities, national authorities and NGOs from ten countries across Europe, with diverse experience on issues of public health and integration of refugees and migrants.
The overall objective of Mig-HealthCare is to improve health care access for vulnerable migrants and refugees, support their inclusion and participation in European communities and reduce health inequalities. Mig-HealthCare produced effective community-based care models, pilot tested in different contexts and countries, which focused on health promotion and prevention. It developed guidelines and tools to reorient health care services to a community level.
RESULTS AND IMPACT
The Mig-HealthCare partners reviewed and evaluated relevant interventions that address health issues among migrants/refugees. Some of these interventions which were positively evaluated and are considered as Best Practices could be used in different settings.
Mig-HealthCare research (literature review, focus groups, survey, mapping of services and best practice) was used to design a prediction model – scenarios to predict the health care services needed to address and respond to the needs of different groups of vulnerable migrants and refugees. Different scenarios were discussed regarding the demands of EU health care and social services in the coming years. Visualizing future trends based on the current situation is a powerful tool to prepare services for future problems.
Through focus groups conducted in local communities the project identified misconceptions about migrants/refugees. These mainly had to do with health issues. Common misconceptions were that migrants carry infectious diseases and that they overload the national welfare systems.
