The instability in Africa and in the Middle East has triggered
an unprecedented migratory flow from those parts of the world.
Recent national and international border management measures are
affecting migration patterns and posing different challenges to the
health systems response to large influxes of refugees and migrants
for World Health Organization (WHO) European Member States.
Countries on the ‘West Balkan migration route’ and Greece in
particular, have had to respond to massive influxes of transiting
migrants in the last years, but they are now faced with populations
staying in the country for longer periods, including almost 50,000
only in Greece. Simultaneously, Turkey is hosting approximately 2.7
million refugees. Refugees and migrants are a heterogeneous group
and health care systems must be prepared to respond to their
diverse needs.

The first background paper explaining current migration
statistics is an analysis from the BBC World Service. The second
paper by the European Parliamentary Research Serviceoutlines issues
affecting public health resulting from the increased migratory
population. The third paper is a study by Herbinger and colleagues
attempting to assess the spectrum of imported diseases likely to
accompany both travelers and migrants.

DISCUSSION PROMPTS

– Distinguish between the terms emerging and re-emerging
infectious diseases. What types of endemic diseases might come from
the two areas of the world contributing to the current migration
pattern?

-What types of public health interventions might such a group
need in order to address the issues of emerging and re-emerging
disease?