Course Background and Rationale

Refugees and migrants in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) constitute a sizeable population predominantly marginalized within most countries. These populations are vulnerable to different health conditions due to the circumstances they live in. Moreover, as many remain marginalized, they lack access to affordable and quality healthcare service, including adequate preventive and promotive services. As countries in the Region face the COVID-19 pandemic, it has become clear that vulnerable populations such as refugees, low income and irregular migrants must be included in all health policies, plans and programmes. Even though health of refugees and migrants is a major concern in the EMR, the technical capacities are not always adequate in the national health systems and the health partners to tackle existing problems. As such, there is a constant need for translating the evidence and disseminating the knowledge available worldwide in support of health policy making and practice in EMR, concerning the health of migrant and refugee populations. To address this gap, the Training Course on Refugees and Migrants’ Health in the Eastern Mediterranean Region has been developed jointly by the Health Systems in Emergencies Lab at the Department of UHC/Health Systems of the World Health Organization Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean and the Global Health Institute at American University of Beirut.

Overall Aim

The training course aims to share knowledge and promote evidence-informed and best practice interventions that are required for advancement of Universal Health Coverage, inclusion and social cohesion, as well as preparing for and responding to emergencies in the context of refugees and migrants in EMR.

Course Format

This online course consists of 10 sessions that shall be offered in 5 days on Monday 15, Tuesday 16, Wednesday 17, Monday 22 and Tuesday 23 February 2021. Each day includes two 1.5-hour sessions that shall take place from 14:00 to 17:00 (Beirut/Cairo time).  The course will be live and synchronous using the GHI Academy Official Zoom account as the online platform. English is the language of the course.  The course has a mixed learning approach including lecturing, group discussion, problem solving and case-studies, and question and answer sessions.

Target Audience

This course is geared towards policymakers and managers from ministries of health and other ministries relevant to health of refugees and migrants. But it is also open to experts from academic and research institutions who are interested in this field of study. Professional staff of the UN agencies and NGOs with responsibilities and/or interest in refugees and migrants’ health are also encouraged to apply.

When to apply?

Deadline to apply is February 5, 2021. Apply here.

Successful applicants will be notified by: February 10, 2021.

The participants upon successful completion of the course will be awarded a joint certificate from the Global Health Institute at the American University of Beirut and the World Health Organization.