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It gives me great pleasure in
addressing you today on the occasion of the 2nd WHO Inter-Regional
Meeting on the health of refugees and migrants. Our newly elected president
His Excellency Dr Christodoulides also sends his warm greetings to you all.
May I reiterate our pride in having the new WHO country office in Cyprus.
I would like to take this
opportunity to outline best practices from the Republic of Cyprus regarding
refugees and migrants’ health in action under some of the following action
pillars agreed upon in the 1st high level meeting in 2022.
1.Ensure refugees and migrants benefit from Universal Health
Coverage.
The Ministry of Health is an
active key player in improving the general cohesion and efficiency of the
migration management process. Through close collaboration with all the
relevant authorities involved e.g., asylum services, police, judicial
services and migration department, the Ministry of Health ensures that
refugees /migrants and displaced persons are registered and have access to
primary healthcare and mental healthcare services as well as secondary
healthcare services within the State Hospital Services Organisation.
Migrants/refugees who are assessed at primary care centres and are in need of
further healthcare are referred to the relevant specialists within the State
Hospital Services Organisation.
New arrivals at the migrant
reception centres undergo assessment of their health needs and public health
screening. A well-trained multidisciplinary team comprising of physicians,
nursing officers, health visitors provide 24- hour primary care services at
the migrant reception centre. Under the guidance, supervision and monitoring
of the Unit for Epidemiological Surveillance and Control of Communicable
Disease, new arrivals are screened for hepatitis B and C, Syphilis, HIV and
Tuberculosis through Mantoux testing. Positive cases are referred to
appropriate specialists for further treatment and management in line with the
WHO guidelines on the treatment of communicable diseases. Contact tracing is
also carried out for any positive cases reported. Increasing efforts are made
to ensure adherence to treatment regimes e.g., for TB to reduce the risk of
emergence of Multiresistent TB. Positive HIV cases are referred to a
specialised centre in Larnaca and treatment is given by a
multidisciplinary specialist team in line with international guidelines. The
Unit for Epidemiological Surveillance of Communicable disease monitors
closely the epidemiological data in cooperation with the healthcare team at
the migrant /refugee centres.
Vulnerable groups e.g.,
unaccompanied children are also screened and cared for by the social
services. Standard operating procedures have been implemented for the
healthcare of migrants/refugees in accordance with national guidelines and
evidence-based medicine.
Health visitors conduct regular
checks for vaccine coverage of migrants/refugees and vaccinations are given
at the reception centre according to the National Vaccination Scheme. Health
information of migrants/refugees is documented on a newly developed digital
platform to ensure that all necessary information is available to healthcare
providers.
Potential victims of violence
or torture are identified early and referred to appropriately trained
healthcare professionals for a comprehensive assessment of their psychosocial
needs and referral to the mental health services according to the findings of
the assessments. Interpreters are made available during the initial
interviews.
We are committed to providing
high quality holistic person-centred healthcare to our migrant population and
thus reducing health inequalities. Regular training and ongoing professional
development for our health professionals caring for the migrant families is
also a priority for the Ministry of Health.
2.Implement inclusive health emergency and disaster risk
reduction policies and actions.
Migrants and refugees are
included in our national disaster and risk reduction policies. It is worth
noting that during the COVID pandemic, information was made available
to migrants/refugees in many international languages. A robust system
of free COVID testing was carried out by the Ministry of Health through
designated stations throughout Cyprus and through mobile units. Any
positive cases of COVID infection are isolated within the reception centres.
Migrants/refugees in need of hospital care are transferred from the state
hospitals to private clinics to reduce overcrowding.
We endorse all of the five
pillars of action proposed during the first high-level meeting on migrant
health; that is supporting universal health coverage, social inclusion,
disaster management, strengthening health governance and developing
partnership and innovative ways of working together. In order to
achieve these, we need global solidarity, regional collaboration, sharing of
best practices to work towards sustainable health financing structures. The
establishment of a technical network of regional experts on migrant health
would facilitate future interventions related to the five pillars for action.
I pledge that the Republic of
Cyprus shall continue its efforts within the framework of our country’s
capacity and capabilities to improve the health status of migrants and
refugees in line with the Sustainable Development Goals of 2030. Cyprus will
maintain this active regional role. In conclusion, I would like to wish
you a productive and successful meeting that will pave the way forward for a
robust regional response to protecting the health of migrant and refugee
populations through political commitment and direct involvement of all
partners in UN agencies and civil society.
(DC)
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