Shifting migrant health care away from an agenda of conflicts and problems toward solutions

Migrant health was an important theme at the WONCA Europe conference in Copenhagen, June 2016 – “Family Doctors with Heads and Hearts”. Later in June, the 6th European Conference on Migrant and Ethnic Minority Health (EUPHA) in Oslo focused on “Equity – the Policy Practice Gap in Health”. Emphasizing the health of migrants is vital for primary care for several important reasons. First, caring for migrants and refugees serves to fulfill human rights and to orientate our ethical compass as family physicians, through prioritizing care for the most needy.[1] Second, caring for migrants is vital in upholding social cohesion, particularly in societies with a high number of immigrants and refugees.[2] Finally, providing good health care for migrants is an economic investment over the longer term.[3]