PROJECT DETAILS
Region
Middle East & North Africa
Population
Migrants & Refugees
Focus
Health Access & Equity
Partners
Columbia Global Centers
Global Health
Migrant Health
MENA Region
Advancing Migrant and Refugee Health in the MENA Region
Developing evidence-based approaches to address the health needs of displaced populations across the Middle East and North Africa, where millions of refugees and migrants face barriers to healthcare access.
🌍
Migrant Health Research
Equity
Centered Design
Evidence
Based Strategy
Multi
Country Approach
MENA
Regional Focus
the challenge
Health Barriers for Displaced Populations
The MENA region hosts millions of refugees and migrants, many fleeing conflict in Syria, Yemen, and other countries. These displaced populations face significant barriers to healthcare—legal status issues, language barriers, discrimination, and health systems not designed to serve mobile populations.
Addressing migrant health requires understanding the unique challenges at the intersection of displacement, policy, and health systems—and developing interventions that can work across diverse country contexts.
"Migrant health isn't just about clinical care—it requires addressing the structural barriers that prevent displaced populations from accessing health services in the first place."
Our Approach
Evidence-Based Regional Strategy
Conducted a comprehensive situational assessment of migrant health needs and barriers across multiple MENA countries to inform regional policy and programming.
01
Situation Analysis
Conducted comprehensive assessment of migrant health needs and barriers across multiple MENA countries.
02
Stakeholder Engagement
Engaged ministries of health, UN agencies, and civil society organizations working with displaced populations.
03
Policy Analysis
Analyzed legal and policy frameworks affecting migrant access to health services across the region.
04
Intervention Design
Developed evidence-based recommendations for improving migrant health access within existing systems.
"
This work created a foundation for evidence-based migrant health programming across the MENA region, demonstrating approaches that can be adapted to diverse country contexts.
Program Impact
the results
Regional Framework Established
The workshop created lasting impact through institutional establishment and replicable training models.
📋
Framework
Developed for cross-country adaptation
📊
Evidence
Base established for migrant health programming
🤝
Network
Regional stakeholders engaged
key insights
Migrant Health Best Practices
1
Structural Barriers First
Clinical interventions fail without addressing legal, policy, and systemic barriers to access.
2
Context Adaptation Essential
Each country requires tailored approaches within regional frameworks.
3
Multi-Sector Engagement
Migrant health requires coordination across health, immigration, and social services sectors.
4
Community Voice Central
Displaced populations must be partners in designing interventions that serve them.
Working on Migrant Health?
Let's discuss how evidence-based approaches can improve health outcomes for displaced populations.