The 4th International Conference on Health and migration from 11 to 13 January 2018 in Puebla

Lesbos, Greece - October 25, 2015: Having just landed in a small boat from Turkey, an Arab family walks up from the beach toward a road on the north coast of the Greek island of Lesbos. They are among more than 500,000 migrants and refugees who have crossed from Turkey to the Greek islands in 2015.

From 11 to 13 January 2018 will take place in Puebla (Mexico) the 4th International Conference on Health and migration organizated by the Rielo Institute for Integral Development (RIID) and the Universidad Popular Autónoma del Estado de Puebla (UPAEP) with the sponsorship of the World Federation for Health and Migration.

The innovative aspect of the International Conference on Health and Migration (ICHM) is that aims at bringing together “specialists”, such as, researchers in the field of migration, health practitioners and health care entities, governmental offices, religious institutions, the private sector and civil society organizations, but at the same time, the conference extends its invitation to migrants and people who are in contact with them in any possible role. The idea is that this added component plays an important role in the discussion and exploration of ways to improve the emotional, mental and physical health of the displaced migrant populations in the world. The final objective is to set up, in a coordinated effort that involves all the players, a plan of action with possible solutions that take in considerations the needs of all nations as well as the health rights and necessities of the migrants.

Migration is in the history of every human being. The last figures indicate that there are 244 million migrants internationally, 41% more than in 2000, and it is projected that the number will significantly increase in the future, given such factors as the geopolitical situation in the world, the economic disparities, and the effects of climate change. This massive human movement has a traumatic impact on many global regions that are confronted with new challenges and must find creative solutions to adapt to new realities, particularly in the field of health.

Health misconceptions and inequalities toward migrant populations are on the rise, and very little is being done to address them. This conference addresses them as it tries to build awareness by building an international network of doers, and by serving as an instrument of understanding and possible problem solving of material and non-material issues related to migration and health.

Some topics of the conference include: