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

19.05.2026 09:00 – 12:00

Human mobility is increasingly shaping the global health landscape. More than one billion people worldwide are migrants or displaced, and this number continues to grow in the context of protracted conflict, climate change, economic instability, and demographic change. At the same time, global health systems are under pressure—from constrained financing to shifting geopolitical priorities and a gradual fragmentation of multilateral cooperation.
In this context, migration, displacement and health is no longer a peripheral or purely humanitarian issue. It sits at the heart of global public health, influencing how health systems function, how risks are distributed, and how countries prepare for and respond to crises.
There is now a strong body of evidence showing that exclusion of migrants and displaced populations from health systems undermines progress towards universal health coverage, weakens pandemic preparedness, and exacerbates inequities. Conversely, inclusive approaches—particularly those grounded in primary health care—are essential to building resilient systems capable of responding to both routine needs and shocks.
Despite this, migration health remains inconsistently prioritised within national and global agendas, particularly in a constrained funding environment. This creates a timely opportunity to reframe the issue not only as a matter of equity and rights, but as a strategic priority for effective and sustainable health systems and for health security.

This side event seeks to elevate migration, displacement and health as a core global health priority, while opening a practical discussion on what this means for policy, financing and implementation.

The discussion will focus on how conflict, climate change and geopolitical change are reshaping health needs and responses for mobile populations, and what more inclusive and resilient health systems look like in practice. It will also focus particularly on those populations and topics are often most excluded, such as mental health and gender as cross cutting themes. It will also aim to strengthen dialogue across policy, practice, academia and multilateral institutions, recognising that progress depends on coordinated and sustained engagement.

Lieu

Bâtiment: Campus Biotech

B1-06

entrée libre