Knowledge Forum on Refugee and Migrant Health

Valetta, Malta, 16–18 April 2024

About the event

The Knowledge Forum is organized by the Health and Migration Programme at the WHO Regional Office

for Europe, in collaboration with the Ministry for Health and Active Ageing of Malta and the European Commission, as an in-person meeting of Member States, partners, civil society organizations and other relevant stakeholders to learn from each other, promote knowledge exchange, share experiences, discuss and reflect on common challenges and encourage collaboration.

The Knowledge Forum will serve as a platform to foster the implementation of the Action plan for refugee and migrant health (2023–2030), share and exchange knowledge and best practices around health and migration, and identify key partnerships for joint interventions across countries of origin, transit and destination. The event will provide the unique opportunity for policy-makers, implementing agencies and nongovernmental organizations and researchers to connect and forge new initiatives.

Context

The event will provide tools and resource for the implementation of the new Action plan for refugee and migrant health (2023–2030), supporting Member States to make their commitment to health for all, including refugees and migrants, a reality. The purpose of the event will be to translate into concrete actions, based on latest research and evidence, the commitments articulated in the Action plan for refugee and migrant health. These actions are needed to implement the new strategic framework and realize the potential of migration to contribute to resourceful and resilient populations. The Forum will build on the Action plan for refugee and migrant health (2023–2030) adopted at the 73th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe and outcomes of the High-level Meetings on Health and Migration in Türkiye in March 2022 and Egypt in March 2023, and the expressed wish of Member States to address health and migration in a whole-of-route approach and in collaboration between countries of origin, transit and destination. The Health and Migration Knowledge Community will be presented during the event; this is an online platform for the participants to harness to exchange and retrieve knowledge after the event.

Approach

• Leverage collaborations and harness collective intelligence and tacit knowledge to solve problems;

• Use traditional learning methods combined with the latest standardized virtual self-contained environments hosted in the WHO discourse platform;

• Focus on solving one/specific problem(s), where potential solutions can only be found through collective experience, and experiential knowledge;

• Tools and resources will be made available to participants during the Forum which they can continue using in their practice; and

• Emphasize a whole-of-route approach for countries across migration trajectories.

Thematic focus

Day 1. Where do we stand?

Day 1 will cover governance and health leadership in the context for refugee and migrant health; legal and governance frameworks; design of migrant-friendly and responsive health services; integration of refugee and migrant voices into research and service design; the epidemiology of refugee and migrant health; and the Health and Migration Knowledge Community.

Day 2. What actions do we need?

Day 2 will cover human resources for health; recruitment of migrant health-care workers and competencies in refugee health; migration health data collection and data sharing; the role of health mediators to support refugees in navigating health systems; immunization; barriers to access and continuity of care across migration pathways; mental health; and the role of health services in prevention of human trafficking.

Day 3 (half day). How do we make impact in countries?

Day 3 will focus on learning from country experiences; harnessing collective intelligence and problem- solving approaches; and achieving a whole-of-route approach for countries across migration trajectories.

Participants

• 53 Member States across the WHO European Region with participation of countries from the WHO African and Eastern Mediterranean Regions and the Member States of the Pan American Health Organization

• United Nations agencies, European Commission and relevant partners and stakeholders

• Faculty of international experts in the field of public health.

• Refugee and migrant representatives

UN City, Marmorvej 51 Tel.: +45 45 33 70 00 Email: [email protected] DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø Fax: +45 45 33 70 01 Website: http://www.euro.who.int Denmark

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION ORGANISATION MONDIALE DE LA SANTÉ

WELTGESUNDHEITSORGANISATION ВСЕМИРНАЯ ОРГАНИЗАЦИЯ ЗДРАВООХРАНЕНИЯ

Date: February 13, 2024

Ms Riina Sikkut

Minister of Health

Ministry of Social Affairs

Suur-Ameerika 1

Tallinn

10129

Estonia

REGIONAL OFFICE FOR EUROPE BUREAU RÉGIONAL DE L’EUROPE

REGIONALBÜRO FÜR EUROPA ЕВРОПЕЙСКОЕ РЕГИОНАЛЬНОЕ БЮРО

Head office:

UN City, Marmorvej 51, DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø, Denmark

Tel.: +45 45 33 70 00; Fax: +45 45 33 70 01

Email: [email protected] Website: https://www.who.int/europe

Dear Madam,

Invitation to the first Knowledge Forum on Refugee and Migrant Health

16–18 April 2024, Valletta, Malta

I am delighted to invite you to the First Knowledge Forum on Refugee and Migrant Health, organized by

the WHO Regional Office for Europe in collaboration with the Ministry for Health and Active Ageing of

Malta, which is scheduled to take place on 16–18 April 2024, in Valletta, Malta.

The Knowledge Forum serves as a platform for implementing the recently adopted Action Plan for

Refugee and Migrant Health in the WHO European Region 2023–2030, facilitating the sharing and

exchange of knowledge concerning health, migration and displacement between Member States, partners

and relevant stakeholders. Furthermore, it aims to identify key partnerships for joint interventions across

countries of origin, transit and destination. During the Knowledge Forum, we will address topics relevant

to implementation of the Action Plan, including the employment of migrant health care workers,

immunization, public health aspects of displacement and other relevant subjects.

I invite you to nominate a senior expert whose expertise and insights would significantly contribute to

the success of this interactive forum. We are hoping for active participation that enriches the discussions,

fosters collaboration and contributes to the overall goal of improving health outcomes for refugees and

migrants.

I am pleased to inform you that WHO will arrange and cover the travel and three nights of accommodation

for the nominated representative.

The working language of the meeting will be English. Should you have any questions, please liaise

directly with Mr Jozef Bartovic ([email protected]) and Ms Simona Melki ([email protected]).

I look forward to receiving your nomination by 9 March 2024.

Yours very truly,

Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge

Regional Director

Encls: Concept note

– 2 –

Copy for information to: Ms Elen Ohov, Adviser, European Union Affairs and International Co-operation Department, Ministry of Social Affairs

Suur-Ameerika 1, Tallinn, 10122, Estonia

Ms Triin Uusberg, Head, European Union Affairs and International Co-operation Department, Ministry of Social Affairs

Suur-Ameerika 1, Tallinn 10129, Estonia

H.E. Ms Riia Salsa-Audiffren, Ambassador Representative of the Republic of Estonia, Permanent Mission of the Republic

of Estonia to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva, Chemin du Petit-Saconnex 28A,

Genève, CH-1209, Switzerland

H.E. Mr William Mart Laanemäe, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Embassy of the Republic of Estonia,

Frederiksgade 19, 4th floor, Copenhagen K, 1265, Denmark

Ms Kristina Köhler, Liaison Officer, WHO Country Office, Estonia, Paldiski Road 81, Tallinn, 10617, Estonia