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IOM and WHO partnering with EU for better health of refugees and displaced people from Ukraine
IOM is working with the European Union and the World Health Organization (WHO) to improve the access to health care services for refugees and people displaced from Ukraine under the Temporary Protection Directive activated by the Council of the EU following the onset of the war in Ukraine on 24 February 2022. Since the war began, millions of people have been forced to leave their homes. More than 5.9 million refugees from Ukraine are displaced across Europe (as of December 2023. Source: UNHCR data portal. Ukraine refugee situation; accessed 01 December 2023).
The arrival of large numbers of refugees and displaced people has placed significant strain on the national health systems of many refugee-receiving countries. To help countries in managing the situation, IOM and WHO under funding of the EU are working with national health authorities to support and strengthen their health systems.
The project “Improving access to healthcare for refugees and people displaced from Ukraine benefitting of temporary protection in Member States” is funded by the EU as part of the 2023 EU4Health Work Programme. It will be implemented in 10 European countries from 2023 to 2025.
Download the EU4Health project brief.
- Country Coverage
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- Bulgaria
- Czechia
- Estonia
- Hungary
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Moldova
- Poland
- Romania
- Slovakia
- Joint Objectives of IOM, EU and WHO
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- Analyse the impacts of the integration of refugees and people displaced from Ukraine in health systems in host countries, as well as the barriers and enablers to access health services
- Support health authorities to expand the health coverage and meet the health needs of refugees and displaced people from Ukraine
- Provide and strengthen the capacities of health mediators to support refugees and people displaced from Ukraine in navigating the health system in the host country
- Establish and strengthen networks of health workers and support their education needs to strengthen their capacities in the provision of refugee-sensitive health services
- Empower displaced health workers from Ukraine to continue their professional development
- Increase the vaccination coverage among refugees and people displaced from Ukraine
- Establish health promotion programmes adapted to the realities refugees and people displaced from Ukraine live in