ECOSOC Annual Ministerial Review
Regional Ministerial Meeting for Asia and the Pacific on
“Promoting Health Literacy”
29-30 April 2009, Beijing
Enhancing Health Literacy Approaches for
Migrants, Mobile Populations and Host
Communities
International Organization for Migration - IOM
International Organization for Migration - IOM
• Global intergovernmental body focused on all aspects of
migration
• 125 Member States and 94 Observer States and other
Organizations
• Field-oriented, with offices in 430 locations around the
world, nearly 6700 staff, and a project base of
approximately one billion dollars (US) in 2008
• Humane and orderly migration benefits migrants and
society
• Migration and Health is one of IOM’s primary areas of
focus
Changes in Migration Patterns
 PACE - faster mobility and migration
move DIVERSE types of migrants and
mobile populations
(regular, irregular; cross-border and
internal)
One of every 35 persons is an
international migrant. (IOM Migration World Report,
2005)
Migration and Health
• Migration as such need not be a risk-factor to
health
• However, the circumstances surrounding the
migration process can pose risks to health
Vulnerability and migrant health determinants
origin
return
No or
limited
access to
health
services,
but many
risk
factors
destination
transit
Migration and Health :
Interlinked and Interdependent
• IOM looks at HEALTH as a positive
migration outcome  advocate for
rights of migrants to access health
services, especially those who find
themselves in vulnerable situations
• Well-managed migrant health benefits
all
• Facilitates integration: healthy
migrants are productive members of
the community
• Stabilizes communities
Health literacy and access to health
Government
ownership
Involve migrants &
community
Inclusive:
access to all
Multi-sectoral
Rights
based
Primary Health
Care pillars
& Health system
strengthening
Connect countries
Engaging migrants & partners in improving
migrant-friendly access to health care services
World Health Assembly
Resolution, 2008 : Migrants’
Health
 Health information
 Health promotion,
disease prevention
 Treatment and care
 Referral systems
 Health surveillance, research
 Language, gender &
culturally appropriate
Examples of I0M/Government
Information-EducationCommunications Activities on HIV
and Safe Mobility
• Animation series
– Series 1 ‘Love in the City’ - Labour Migration & HIV
– Series 2 ‘On the Road’ - Highway Communities & HIV
– Tailored training curriculum for HIV prevention and
information in the infrastructure sector
• Radio drama series
• Life-skills activities manual, IEC materials
** Edutainment media – fun and informative
• 8 episodes, 10 minutes per episode
• Dubbed in Khmer, Lao, Myanmar, Thai and
Vietnamese; English subtitles
Examples of I0M/Government
InformationEducation-Communications Activities
on HIV and Safe Mobility
“ For Life, with Life” - a behaviour
change communications tool
( 1-minute film clip)
HEALTHY MIGRANTS, HEALTHY THAILAND!
To improve health and well-being among
migrants in priority provinces of Thailand
Chiang Rai
-- a sustainable and replicable model on
health system strengthening, includes
health literacy activities
Tak
Key objectives :
Bangkok
•To strengthen the capacity of health care providers and
health authorities at all levels to provide accessible
basic health services
Samutsakorn
•To build the capacity of migrants and communities in
assessing and providing health services to their peers
and families
Ranong
•To create a replicable model for Migrant Health
Program, sustainable model for migrant health services
Pang Nga
•To increase health literacy and promote positive health
behaviors of migrants and most communities
•To support positive migrant health
policy changes
Some Lessons Learned / Elements of Best Practices in
Migrant Health Services and Health Literacy
 Effective inclusive health literacy policies and delivery
systems that include informed cultural mediators
and/or health promoters/health care providers
 Active community participation by promoting healthseeking behaviours and trust (through health education and
health literacy)
 Use of balanced & innovative strategies that aim at
equitable primary health care services also for the host
communities
 Orderly migration management including cross border
health cooperation, understanding and services
In previous ECOSOC preparatory & related
meetings, action points raised
 Blending traditional health practices to health literacy approaches
• Very limited information on health literacy in Asia and the Pacific 
national, regional/sub-regional assessments – including a focus on
migrants
• In light of financial crisis – ensuring that health of the workforce
including migrants is addressed: Healthy workforces = Healthy
economies (China)
• Effective health literacy strategy on environmental and climate change
(ex. water table salinization in island States; population relocation and
impacts on health)
• Health literacy approaches on emerging/re-emerging communicable
diseases , and non communicable diseases
Achieving MDGs, Migrants and Health Literacy
Key Messages
1.Healthy migrants = healthy communities
2.MDG Achievement will depend in many
cases on focused inclusion of migrants in
the target groups
3.Migrants have specific health needs and
assessments and goals in health literacy
need to be tailored for migrant groups
and mobile populations
Thank you!
Mr. Charles Harns
Regional Representative, Manila
(charns@iom.int)
Mr. Thomas Sinkovits
Head of Office, Beijing
(tsinkovits@iom.int)
Dr. Nenette Motus
Regional Migration Health
Manager, Bangkok
(nmotus@iom.int)