The international migrations of populations do not specifically convey epidemics, according to a summary of recent research published in the Lancet. We are far from “bacterial immigration”.
The commission responsible, within the editorial staff of the Lancet, for health and migration issues (The UCL–Lancet Commission on Migration and Health), has just published a summary of recent research on the subject. We are talking here only about international migration, often designated as responsible for the resurgence of epidemics within the host countries.
“The example of Germany is clear, between 2014 and 2015 (massive arrival of illegal immigrants), the number of measles cases increased by 450%!”, For example, can we read on the association’s website Republican Resistance. Three years ago, the president of the National Rally Marine Le Pen thus proposed “to eradicate all bacterial immigration”. According to her, “hospitals are facing the alarming presence of non-European contagious diseases, linked to the influx of migrants”.
A pool of jobs essential to the health economy
In 2018, more than a billion people were on the move around the world, a quarter of whom were migrants crossing international borders. Over the past four decades, their percentage has changed very little, going from 2.9% in 1990 to 3.4% in 2017. First, the researchers point out that migrants represent a pool of jobs essential to the health economy, which very often lacks manpower. In the United Kingdom, for example, 37% of doctors obtained their medical qualification in another country.
“Populist discourse demonizes individuals who support health and social services. Questioning the merit of migrants in health care based on inaccurate beliefs supports exclusionary practices, harming the health of individuals, our society and our economies,” said Professor Ibrahim Abubakar, chairman of the commission.
Lower death rates
Regarding mortality rates, that of migrants is generally lower than that of native populations of host countries. A study based on more than 15.2 million migrants indicates that they had lower death rates for cardiovascular, digestive, endocrine, psychiatric, neoplastic, nervous, respiratory, genitourinary or musculoskeletal diseases.
The only two exceptions were infections like viral hepatitis, tuberculosis and HIV, and assaults, where migrants have higher death rates. However, the risk of transmission of these pathologies is high only within migrant communities and is negligible in host populations.
“Improving migrants’ access to health services”
Recent examples of the spread of resistant pathogens are mainly due to tourism and the movement of livestock rather than international migration. The fertility rates of migrant women are also generally lower than those of host populations.
In view of all this data, “the Lancet commission calls on governments to improve migrants’ access to health services, strengthen their right to health and address the broader determinants of migrant health, including adopting a zero-tolerance approach to racism and discrimination.”
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