MDM UK held its annual conference: "Migrants' access to health care needs to be improved"

The aim of the annual conference of Médecins du Monde UK was to identify ways in which healthcare professionals can help make health care more accessible to migrants. This issue is becoming increasingly important, as it is estimated that over the next decade climate change will result in an extra 50 million to 200 million people from poor countries seeking refuge in richer countries.

 

More research was identified as a key action point to help persuade policy makers of the importance of extending access to health care. In particular, research is needed on the current availability of health care to migrants and on the economic consequences of increasing access.

Although some research already existed, more was needed to dispel the myth of health tourism, conference participants said, and to persuade the government of the adverse consequences of not providing care to migrants.

Participants also called for better coordination among pressure groups to make campaigns on increasing access to health care more effective. Neil Gerrard, Labour MP for Walthamstow, spoke of the need to build broad alliances among professionals, faith groups, trade unions, and campaigners and to tap into support both inside and outside government. Non-governmental organisations also needed to share their experiences of successful projects.

The culture of suspicion surrounding asylum seekers was identified as another problem. Frances Webber, a barrister for the Institute of Race Relations, spoke of a "culture of disbelief," in which judges presiding over immigration cases refused to accept that many asylum seekers genuinely needed asylum, a problem compounded when migrants were not able to express themselves adequately.

Médecins du Monde announced the launch of a new network of healthcare professionals to help migrants (http://www.mdmhealthlink.org.uk/). The website links together professionals who are willing to provide information and support and will provide a means for organising campaigns, lobbying the government to press for change, and sharing information about migrants' access to health care.

 

Source: BMJ, "Migrants' access to health care needs to be improved" (BMJ 2009;338:b1244)

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