Migration, displacement and health in a changing world:
from the margins to a global health priority

Closed, invitation-only roundtable (Chatham House-style discussion)

Presentation

Migration and displacement are increasingly shaping the conditions under which health systems operate. In a context defined by protracted conflict, climate change, and economic uncertainty, mobility is no longer an exception but a structural feature of the global health landscape. At the same time, the broader global health environment is undergoing a period of constraint and transition. Funding has tightened, political priorities are shifting, and multilateralism is under pressure. While there is increasing recognition of the importance of migration, displacement and health, there remains a gap between this recognition and the implementation of coherent, scalable policy responses, despite its clear relevance to universal health coverage, health system resilience, and health security.

There is evidence that exclusion of migrants and displaced populations from health systems undermines public health. However, there remains a gap between recognition of the issue and the implementation of coherent, scalable policy responses. In particular, there is limited space for frank discussion on what is feasible within current fiscal and political constraints. This roundtable is designed to address that gap. Rather than revisiting the rationale for action, it will focus on identifying realistic, actionable policy and system-level solutions that can be advanced in the current environment. The discussion will focus on what more inclusive and resilient health systems look like in practice.

The discussion will focus in particular on:

● Practical entry points for strengthening inclusion within national health systems
● Positioning migration and displacement within broader health system and health security agendas
● Approaches that have demonstrated traction in translating evidence into policy and implementation
● Opportunities to strengthen coordination across actors

The roundtable will be held under the Chatham House Rule to encourage open exchange. The roundtable follows on from the joint open call by The Virchow Foundation and other leading health organizations in May 2025 to uphold refugee and migrant health as a global public health priority; and the WHO and Virchow Foundation co-organised side event to the World Health Summit in October 2025.

Objectives

To convene a small group of senior actors across policy, practice, academia and multilateral organisations to identify realistic, actionable policy and system-level solutions for advancing migration, displacement and health within current funding and geopolitical constraints.

Moderators

Jocalyn CLARK

Editor

The British Medical Journal

Canada

Miriam ORCUTT

Senior Researcher

University College London / The Global Health Network / Geneva Centre of Humanitarian Studies

United Kingdom

Agenda

09.30	Welcome and framing Purpose of the roundtable: moving from recognition → actionable policy and system-level solutions Brief framing of current geopolitical and financing context
09.35	Scene-setting interventions A government perspective (e.g. Minister or senior policymaker) A multilateral/technical perspective A policy/practice interface perspective
09.45	Discussion 1: Entry points for achieving migrant-inclusive health systems Guiding Questions What is politically and financially feasible now? Where are the most promising system entry points (P C, financing, service delivery) and how can this agenda be anchored within UHC, health systems strengthening, and health security? What has worked in practice in creating migrant-inclusive health systems, and why?
10.15	Discussion 2: From evidence to implementation and coordination Guiding Questions: What has worked in practice, either examples of implementation or translation of evidence into policy and practice? What can realistically be scaled or adapted across contexts? Where are the coordination gaps, and what are 2–3 practical steps to improve alignment?
10.45	Discussion 3: Synthesis and key takeaways Moderator-led synthesis of 2–3 priority policy entry points and 2–3 actionable next steps for collaboration/coordination
10.55	Closing
11.00	Reception & Networking

Closed, invitation-only roundtable (Chatham House-style discussion). If you are interested by this discussion, contact us.

Organizers

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Created by

Tania Rieu

She is a 30-year-old French photographer and videographer.

After working in the cultural sector for four years, she entered the humanitarian sector to give a voice to the most vulnerable people.

She had the opportunity to produce a documentary on the 40-year commitment of the NGO Première Urgence Internationale in Myanmar, where its work lies at the intersection of emergency aid and development.

In November 2025, she traveled to the DRC, specifically to Ituri and North Kivu, to document the NGO’s activities in the region, as well as the living conditions of thousands of families affected by the conflict.

Far from the sensationalist clichés people may have grown accustomed to, her work focuses on the resilience of communities, mutual aid, and the dedication of humanitarian workers.

Through this report, her goal is above all to remind audiences that behind the shocking statistics seen every day, there are individuals whose lives have been shattered by conflict.

To contact Tania RIeu : trieu@premiere-urgence.org

Cora Portais

Cora Portais (b. 1993, Ivory Coast) is a Franco-Senegalese documentary photographer whose work engages with contemporary social, human, and political issues. Her practice explores the ways in which photography can bear witness to lived realities while questioning the power structures embedded in the production of images.

She began her photographic work at the age of 21 with a long-term project on access to education and healthcare for children with albinism in Senegal. The project received international recognition and was exhibited in Washington by the World Bank, as well as in Dar es Salaam and Nairobi, and presented during an international conference on albinism organized by the Open Society Foundation in South Africa.

Originally trained in journalism in France, where she worked with the Africa desk of Courrier International, Portais further developed her documentary approach in 2016 at The Market Photo Workshop in Johannesburg, a school founded by photographer David Goldblatt. There, she refined a socially engaged photographic practice while continuing her research on albinism and documenting marginalized urban communities in South Africa.

After returning to Senegal in 2017, she initiated several personal projects, including Etakaï, a series produced in Casamance that reflects on cultural transmission and the persistence of traditional practices within contemporary societies. In 2018, she was a semi-finalist in Magnum Photos’ Photography & Social Justice Program. Her work has since been presented in Europe and Africa, notably with the German gallery IkA, at the Iziko National Museum in Cape Town, and during festivals and the Off program of the Dakar Biennale.

Since 2019, Cora Portais has worked with the medical humanitarian organization ALIMA (The Alliance for International Medical Action), producing photographic documentation on public health issues in crisis contexts across the Sahel and Central Africa. Working in regions affected by conflict, displacement, and climate-related challenges – including the Central African Republic, Cameroon, and the Sahel – she documents themes such as epidemics, malnutrition, and maternal and child health.

Grounded in a sustained commitment to social justice, her work reflects on the ethics of documentary practice and the responsibility of the photographer in shaping visual narratives. Through long-term engagement and collaboration with the communities she photographs, Portais seeks to create images that move beyond representation to question how stories are told, who tells them, and for whom.

To contact Cora Portais : cora.portais@alima.ngo

The discussion at the World Health Assembly on Well-being and health promotion

The discussion at the World Health Assembly (WHA) is important because it aims to position health promotion as a central pillar of public policies, shifting from a care-centred approach to a comprehensive well-being approach based on action on the determinants of health and the engagement of all sectors of society.

A paradigm shift: from care to well-being

The document highlights a global framework for well-being (adopted in 2024) that seeks to reorient health systems towards health promotion, not only the treatment of disease. This implies recognising that health is primarily shaped by living conditions (social, environmental, and economic determinants).

A global policy priority under construction

The WHA discussion is key as it aims to firmly embed health promotion within policy agendas, in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals and the Geneva Charter for Well-being.
Today, health promotion is still often secondary in public decision-making, despite being essential for building resilient and equitable societies.

A call for multisectoral and systemic action

The proposed framework emphasises an approach that “engages the whole of government and the whole of society.”
This directly strengthens approaches such as Health in All Policies and Healthy Cities, calling for transformation across governance, economic systems, and public policies.

An operational challenge: scaling up implementation

Finally, this discussion is strategic as it seeks to translate concepts into concrete implementation, through policy guidance, indicators, and actionable mechanisms for Member States.

👉 See preparatory document EB158/27 https://apps.who.int/gb/ebwha/pdf_files/EB158/B158_27-en.pdf

Three key WHO approaches to acting on the determinants of health

Five major approaches developed by the World Health Organization provide practical frameworks for acting on the determinants of health. They share a common objective: integrating health considerations across all public policies and living environments. By mobilising action at multiple levels — from local to global — these approaches aim to transform the conditions that shape health in everyday life. Together, they offer concrete levers to move from a care-oriented model towards a prevention- and equity-driven approach.

Social Determinants of Health framework

This foundational framework provides a comprehensive understanding of how social, economic, and political factors influence health outcomes and generate health inequalities. It distinguishes between structural determinants (such as governance, public policies, and social stratification) and intermediary determinants (including living conditions, behaviours, and access to services). It offers a conceptual basis for intersectoral action and is a key reference for addressing the root causes of health inequities.
👉 https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241500852

Primary Health Care

Primary Health Care (PHC) is a whole-of-society approach to health that aims to ensure the highest possible level of health and well-being. It combines essential health services with action on the broader determinants of health, community empowerment, and multisectoral policies. PHC is central to achieving universal health coverage and reducing health inequalities by bringing services closer to where people live and by addressing their needs in a comprehensive way.

Creating Healthy Cities

This approach places health at the centre of local policies and urban governance. It encourages cities to act on key determinants such as urban planning, transport, housing, environment, and social cohesion. By engaging local authorities, stakeholders, and citizens, it promotes participatory and sustainable actions to improve health and well-being in urban settings.
👉 https://www.who.int/activities/creating-healthy-cities/creating-healthy-cities

Health in All Policies and intersectoral action capacities

This approach focuses on systematically integrating health considerations into all public policies (such as economy, education, transport, agriculture, etc.). The aim is to improve policy coherence and to act upstream on the determinants of health.
👉 https://www.who.int/activities/Promoting-health-in-all-policies-and-intersectoral-action-capacities

WHO urban health strategies

This global framework addresses the specific challenges of urban settings (inequalities, pollution, access to services). It is aligned with the Geneva Charter for Well-being, which calls for building well-being societies by acting on the structural determinants of health, and with the WHO global framework for integrating well-being into public health (2023–2024), which provides strategic guidance for transforming systems. These urban strategies promote integrated, evidence-informed action and collaborative governance to make cities healthier, more inclusive, and more resilient.
👉 https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240116177
👉 https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240084858
👉 https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/the-geneva-charter-for-well-being

Migration, displacement and health in a changing world: from the margins to a global health priority