Migrants’ and refugees’ health status and healthcare in Europe
Citation: Lebano A., Hamed S., Bradby H. et al. Migrants’ and refugees’ health status and healthcare in Europe: a scoping literature review. BMC Public Health 2020:20;1039.
Amid the need to ensure fair access to healthcare, there is evidence of continuing difference between migrants and non-migrants in access to healthcare facilities. Evidence indicates that in addition to language and communication barriers about use of healthcare facilities, healthcare needs have not been addressed, particularly when it comes to mental and dental wellbeing, as well as the prevalence of legal barriers to access to healthcare.
Health care must be offered to migrants entering Europe in response to diverse and changing individual needs.
This review included 77 studies from nine European countries (Austria, Cyprus, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Malta, Spain and Sweden) in English and country-specific languages to provide an overview of migrants’ access to healthcare. The goal of the study was to identify understanding about access to healthcare as well as the healthcare use of migrants and refugees in EU Member States. The evidence contained papers from 2011 forward.
Different illnesses are prioritized by different countries, but these goals do not necessarily conform to the needs or priorities shared by migrants. Mental health services, preventive care (immunization) and long-term care in the midst of an ageing migrant community are listed as concerns that merit greater consideration. There is a need to develop current data on migrants’ health status, needs and access to healthcare in order to be able to adapt services to their needs.