World Refugee Day, 20 June: The Prolepsis Institute for the World Refugee Day and the new Mig-HealthCare program

June 20, 2017

"Health is a fundamental, non-negotiable good and an inalienable right of every human being"

62,354 refugees are currently in Greece, on islands and the mainland. This number includes many children and adolescents whose mental and physical health are particularly at risk. They are part of the largest refugee crisis in history since World War II. Every minute, 20 people around the world are forced to leave their homes because of war, persecution or insecurity in their home countries, or seek a safer environment for themselves and their families.

Prolepsis Institute with the opportunity of the World Refugee Day 2017 and in light of the difficult conditions that thousands of refugees still face in Greece every day, emphasizes the need to protect refugee health and put into effect successful interventions so as to continue improving their living conditions. Strengthening regional healthcare systems and facilitating access to better and safer health care for refugees are, in combination, a necessary and indispensable condition for health advocacy, which is a fundamental, non-negotiable good and an inalienable right for every person.

The aim of the new European program Mig-HealthCare launched in May 2017 is exactly this. The lead partner of the three-year program is the Prolepsis Institute along with 13 other partners from universities, national authorities, and NGOs in 10 EU countries. In particular, the Mig-HealthCare program: Strengthening community based care to minimize health inequalities and improve the integration of vulnerable migrants and refugees into local communities, aims to reduce health inequalities by improving physical and mental health services for migrants and refugees.

By responding to the need to protect the health and well-being of vulnerable migrants and refugees and to facilitate their integration into local communities, the European Union has given priority to providing support, guidance and expertise to local healthcare services. Mig-HealthCare contributes to this goal by identifying needs for healthcare services, developing educational tools for health professionals, providing information for migrants / refugees and other targeted actions.

Mig-HealthCare is co-funded by the EU's Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety – DG SANTE, up to 60%. We are still searching for national funding to cover the remaining 40% of our own contribution. 

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