Role of Academia in Addressing the Health Needs of Migrant Populations

Migrant Health Resource Library

Full Migrant Health Policy Statement 

APTR calls upon post-secondary educational institutions in the United States—particularly health professions schools and their academic units that teach prevention and public health—to proactively increase knowledge about the health needs of refugees, asylum seekers, and other migrant populations (hereafter referred to as “migrants”)*; and to teach about the scientific and evidence-based perspectives on migrant health.

* Migrant populations include immigrants, refugees, asylum-seekers, internally displaced persons, and other groups that leave their homes.

Whereas

• Voluntary or forced migration often result in isolation from social support mechanisms and involve specific experiences, stressors, and environmental and sociopolitical exposures that can significantly impact health before, during, and after migration.

• Migrants have diverse backgrounds, including their social, cultural, religious, economic, and educational experiences, and migration may occur due to several factors such as poverty, violence, war, political instability, and climate change.

• These exposures and experiences can cause or intensify traumatic stress, marginalize migrants, and place them uniquely at risk.

• Especially vulnerable populations exist across the spectrum of migrants (e.g. accompanied or unaccompanied minors, pregnant women, older adults, sexual and gender minorities, persons with disabilities).

• All individuals, regardless of gender or age, are at risk for adverse events during migration that may result in lifelong health risks due to the impacts of traumatic stress.

• Robust data on best practices and outcomes are essential for optimum care and policy development.

• A diverse workforce that includes members of migrant communities is an essential step to understanding and improving the health of migrant populations.

• Educational institutions have the capability and infrastructure to increase diversity in academic, policy, and research workplaces.

• Public health and interprofessional preventionists, educators and researchers, and institutions in collaboration with migrant communities, are essential in supporting increased knowledge, increased capacity, and broadened understanding of migrant health and wellbeing concerns.

• Migrants have knowledge, skills, strengths, assets, and resilience that can protect and promote the health and wellbeing of individuals and families and contribute positively to communities.

Therefore 

APTR calls upon health professions schools and programs, including clinical programs and public health programs to:

• Provide curricular opportunities that equip students with knowledge and skills needed to address the health issues of migrant populations.
• Include competencies and learning outcomes in academic subjects (e.g., through practical application) related to migration and health.
• Develop core sets of knowledge and skills for practitioners, graduates, and students.
• Promote community-engaged learning and dialogue regarding migrant health through a variety of channels including educational program development, service-learning opportunities, and service as board and taskforce members.
• Share interprofessional educational practices and curricula based on evidence-based science which includes competencies related to community engagement and community health needs assessments.
• Encourage and support research efforts by faculty and students directed to better advocate for migrant health and wellbeing such as community needs assessments and culturally appropriate communication.
• Identify and secure specific funding sources for student and faculty research into migrant health and well-being.
• Ensure opportunities for faculty development to enhance knowledge and skills related to migration and immigrant health.
• Foster the development of domestic and global academic partnerships to support training of health professionals, practitioners, and migrant health specialists.
• Design opportunities for interprofessional collaboration within and beyond the health professions for students, faculty, professionals, and lay-persons to address migrant needs.
• Promote diversity of employment, robust support for ESL learners, and financial aid programs to support migrant learners.
• Recognize, embrace, and support the contributions of foreign-born professionals throughout public health and the health care system.
• Advocate for policies and legislation that protects migrant populations and promotes migrant health and wellbeing.

Health professions schools and programs, including clinical programs and public health programs, should incorporate into the curriculum the following elements:

• Social and political determinants of health and health equity, specifically as they relate to migrant health and wellbeing.
• The ways in which language, culture, and history can influence how migrant communities make meaning around illness, health, and health care.
• Public health practice, including knowledge and skills necessary for responding to the health needs of migrants (i.e., research, surveillance, program/policy evaluation, cultural humility, and effective advocacy).
• The unique stressors on migrant populations, including trauma, such as displacement and fear of deportation; resource limitations, including those caused by discriminatory policy; and other stressors experienced in the migration process.
• Systems thinking, policy and program development, planning, and evaluation for migrant health and wellbeing.
• Evidence-based content and context that assures that the future population health workforce is prepared, through education and training, to effectively address the current and future health needs of the migrant population in the U.S.
• Degree tracks with intensive curricula in issues of migrant health.
• Interprofessional prevention training that is designed to combine resources across disciplines to solve complex system issues related to the needs of migrant populations.

APTR will:

• Explore, validate, and disseminate best scientific and educational practices, curricula, and evidence to support the role of academia in addressing the health needs of migrant populations.
• Promote and support the adoption of policies by academic institutions throughout the United States that promote the health and wellbeing of immigrant students, faculty, staff, and community members.
• Provide resources in academic and health care settings for investigating, teaching, and acting in favor of actions that mitigate disease and promote the health and wellbeing of refugee, immigrant, and migrant populations.
• Engage stakeholders through professional organization participation, educational community outreach, and institutional and organizational policy development.
• Identify interprofessional prevention education for faculty, students, professionals, and lay-persons within academic, practice, and community settings that serves as a model resource for improving migrant health.