Migration, forced migration and health

Research in the field of migration and forced migration focuses on the causes, conditions and consequences as well as on the application-oriented analyses of health policy measures at national, European and global level. From a population health point of view, screening measures and their effectiveness, issues related to the burden of disease, access to care and prevention measures, as well as the “responsiveness" of health systems are of great importance with an international comparative lens.

The AG2 department has a proven expertise in the context of research on forced migration and health. The research includes questions about the burden of disease and care in various areas (e.g. infectious diseases, mental illnesses, chronic physical diseases) and different target groups (e.g. pregnant women, children). In addition, we pursue cross-regional projects in order to increase the validity of existing evidence in many areas. Our research focuses on system-based approaches to improving the health system response to migration-related challenges. Special attention is paid to the evaluation of policy measures with regard to the consequences for the health of migrants and the general population. We examine, for example, the effects of distribution policies on the health and health care of refugees.

In addition, the establishment of surveillance approaches is of great importance in order to monitor health needs and care processes in view of the dynamics of refugee movements. To this end, we cooperate with the Department of General Medicine and Health Services Research at the University Hospital in Heidelberg. In the BMG-funded lighthouse project PRICARE (www.pri.care), we have for the first time established a specially developed electronic documentation system in reception facilities (Refugee Care Manager, RefCare©) that has been standardised in several German federal states. With the help of the integrated surveillance interface, the software enables real-time analysis of important health and care parameters using more than 60 indicators. The spectrum of diseases addressed to date includes infectious disease epidemiology, and paediatric, gynaecological and psychological illness and disease.

Furthermore, this research area builds bridges between academic public health and the population medical practice in the public health service (ÖGD). We are currently expanding existing collaborations with the ÖGD in the form of an academic research network. The aim is to transfer relevant questions from practice to science, to investigate them with the help of the partners involved in the research network, and to transfer them back into practice in the form of concrete results. This measure also contributes to a stronger linkage between academia and ÖGD and thus to a strengthening of public health in Germany.

 

Explore our projects on Migration and Health here:

• INTERSECT - Migration trajectories, natural experiments and effects of small-area contexts on health: a privacy-preserving linkage study of routine and primary data among resettlement refugees
• PROTECT-ING - IT-gestützte Verfahren zur Schutzbedarfsidentifizierung und -dokumentation
• STRONGDATA-Kids - Strengthening health data systems on migration and flight in Germany: a pilot study using the example of child and adolescent mental health
• DignityFIRM - Improving the conditions of irregularized migrants working in Farm to Fork-labour markets in EU member and associated states