From September 9 to 13, 2024, the MENA Migrant Health Consortium held its 3rd General Assembly in Cairo, Egypt. This annual event brought together partners and key stakeholders, including representatives from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the Migration Policy Group (MPG), and the World Health Organization (WHO), to discuss advances and challenges in improving health data collection for migrants in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
The Assembly focused on reviewing the progress of the project, particularly the development and validation of the Migrant Health Care Policy tool (MHCP-t), which aims to streamline the collection of health data across the region. The tool, now available in English, Arabic, and French, addresses key health domains, including policies, health data collection, and the prevention of diseases like tuberculosis (TB), HIV, non-communicable diseases (NCDs), and vaccine-preventable illnesses. During the meeting, participants discussed the ongoing validation process of the tool in different country settings and the next steps for refining it before its final version.
One of the highlights of the event was the International PhD Symposium, organized in collaboration with Badr University Cairo. Under the theme “From Basic Science to Public Health”, PhD students presented their research focused on improving public health outcomes, contributing to the broader goals of the project.
Throughout the Assembly, expert panels and discussions emphasized the importance of cross-border collaboration to ensure that migrant populations are included in health systems and data collection efforts. The sharing of best practices and tools from various organizations will play a crucial role in shaping the final version of the MHCP-t and informing future policy decisions related to migrant health in the region.
This 3rd General Assembly marks a step forward in the MENA Migrant Health Project’s mission to improve data-driven approaches to migrant health, foster cross-country collaboration, and ultimately transform health service delivery for migrant populations in the MENA region.
