OEA - CIDI - Resolución CIDI CAM doc 162

C OMMITTEE ON MIGRATION ISSUES OEA/Ser.W CIDI/CAM/doc.162/26 16 March 2026

Original: Spanish.

CONCEPT NOTE THEMATIC SESSION “ACCESS OF PERSONS IN CONTEXTS OF HUMAN MOBILITY TO HEALTH SERVICES AND DISEASE PREVENTION FOR THEIR FULL INCLUSION IN HOST COUNTRIES” (23 March 2026) (Prepared by the Chair of CAM with the support of the Technical Secretariat)

I. INTRODUCTION Migration and health are deeply interconnected issues that require comprehensive understanding and action by States at the regional, national, and sub-national levels. The dynamics of human mobility increase migrants’ exposure to multiple risk factors, ranging from physical, psychosocial, and health risks to barriers in accessing essential services, adverse transit conditions, violence, labor and housing precarity, and obstacles linked to migration status.

Ensuring effective, timely, and non-discriminatory access to health services is essential for the protection of rights, the management of health risks, and the full inclusion of migrants. This requires intersectoral approaches that are culturally appropriate and based on human rights, as well as strengthening health systems capable of responding to the diverse needs of people in mobility contexts. The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has repeatedly emphasized that the health of migrants is a regional priority and a key component for guaranteeing universal access to health. To this end, it promotes the adoption of human-rights-based policies, the integration of populations in mobility into national prevention and care programs, the strengthening of epidemiological surveillance along migration corridors, and cooperation among States to ensure continuity of care. Within this framework, migrant health has become a critical axis for regional governance, the protection of human rights, and the stability of health systems.1

II. REGIONAL CONTEXT Countries in the Americas face complex migration dynamics characterized by mixed flows,

prolonged displacement, intraregional mobility, and increasing humanitarian needs. Many States in the region simultaneously act as countries of origin, transit, destination, and return, which require stronger coordination mechanisms. Health systems in the region face challenges related to access, continuity of care, epidemiological surveillance, and the provision of culturally appropriate services. Migrants constitute a group of special interest for public health because mobility processes expose them to adverse social and environmental determinants that significantly increase their vulnerability. During displacement,

1 . United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Strengthening Resilience Through Human Mobility: The Changing Landscape of Migration and Displacement in Latin America and the Caribbean 2025. https://www.undp.org/es/latin-america/publicaciones/fortaleciendo-la-resilienciatraves-de-la-movilidad-humana-el-cambiante-panorama-de-la-migracion-y-el-desplazamiento-en2individuals may face physical, psychosocial, and health risks, including limited access to essential services, exposure to violence, precarious labor and housing conditions, and structural barriers related to migration status. These challenges particularly affect pregnant women, girls, boys and adolescents, older persons, and persons with disabilities. They face administrative, economic, linguistic, and cultural barriers; interruptions in treatment; and situations of violence or discrimination that discourage them from seeking care. In this regard, the Health and Migration in the Americas Report (July–December 2025) by PAHO/WHO indicates that lack of documentation, absence of social security coverage, and institutional disconnection continue to be structural barriers to timely access to health care. 2 Although migrant populations are predominantly young, significant gaps persist in affiliation and use of health services compared to national populations, linked to migration status, insufficient

information about rights, and cultural or language limitations.3 Prevention is a critical component. Including migrants in vaccination programs, sexual and reproductive health services, early detection, and control of communicable and non-communicable diseases is essential to protect public health. However, challenges persist in financing, intersectoral coordination, and sustainability of interventions. Pressure on emergency services, primary health care, and vaccination programs intensifies in border areas and host communities with limited resources. Despite these challenges, States continue advancing toward ensuring universal and nondiscriminatory access to health services. Efforts include strengthening intercultural competencies among health personnel, providing interpretation services, adapting protocols, and promoting approaches sensitive to gender, age, and other factors. In this sense, regional cooperation is key to ensuring continuity of care. Harmonization of regulations, exchange of epidemiological information, referral and counter-referral mechanisms, and regional health networks are fundamental to guaranteeing continuous care regardless of nationality or migration status.4 Disease prevention is another critical area where migrant inclusion is particularly relevant. Vaccination, access to sexual and reproductive health services, early detection of communicable and non-communicable diseases, and promotion of healthy lifestyles are essential interventions to protect public health and reduce epidemiological risks. Lack of access to these interventions can create gaps in health coverage that affect both migrants and host communities. For this reason, countries in the region have begun to implement strategies to integrate migrants into their national prevention programs, although significant challenges remain in terms of financing, intersectoral coordination and sustainability. On the other hand, health systems in the region face growing pressures. Emergency services, primary care, and vaccination programs are often overloaded, especially in border areas, migration corridors, and host communities with limited resources. Continuity of care is frequently interrupted, affecting individuals with chronic diseases, mental health conditions, sexual and reproductive

health needs, and other conditions that require regular follow-up. Despite these challenges, States are working to ensure universal, timely, and non-discriminatory access to health services for migrants, recognizing that this is an essential component of their full inclusion in host countries and of strengthening regional cooperation in health matters. Achieving

2 Pan American Health Organization / World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO). Health and Migration Report in the Americas (July–December 2025). Washington, D.C., 2025. https://www.paho.org/sites/default/files/2026/02/infografia-salud-migracion-jul-dic-2025-esp.pdf 3 Pan American Health Organization. Migration and Health in the Americas – PAHO/WHO | Pan American Health Organization. 4 Idem3this requires strengthening the capacity of services to respond to the specific needs of migrants, including developing intercultural competencies among health personnel, incorporating interpretation and cultural mediation services, adapting care protocols to the realities of human mobility, and promoting approaches sensitive to gender and age. It is also essential to advance toward models of care that recognize mobility as a social determinant of health and that guarantee continuity of care through cross-border coordination mechanisms. Regional cooperation plays a key role in this area. Harmonization of regulatory frameworks, exchange of epidemiological information, creation of referral and counter-referral mechanisms between countries and strengthening regional health networks are essential elements to ensure that migrants can access health services continuously and effectively, regardless of their migration status or the country in which they are located.5

III. OBJECTIVE OF THE SESSION Access to health services and disease prevention for people in contexts of human mobility is a central pillar of inclusive, development-oriented migration governance in the Americas.

Recognizing migrants, refugees, and displaced persons as rights-holders and as actors in development implies guaranteeing their effective, timely, and non-discriminatory access to quality

health services an indispensable condition for strengthening social cohesion, reducing structural inequalities, and promoting more resilient and inclusive societies. The objective of this session is to foster a technical and political dialogue among Member States to strengthen comprehensive approaches based on human rights and evidence that contribute to ensuring equitable and non-discriminatory access to health services for migrants and refugees. It also aims to promote the exchange of experiences and good practices and to identify shared challenges and opportunities for regional cooperation to consolidate public policies that strengthen disease prevention and continuity of care, contributing to the full inclusion and well-being of populations in human mobility contexts. The session’s methodology will combine technical presentations with a space for exchange among delegations, with the aim of generating substantive inputs that may be considered in the deliberative processes of the Inter-American Council for Integral Development in fulfillment of existing mandates.

5 . United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Strengthening Resilience through Human Mobility: The Changing Landscape of Migration and Displacement in Latin America and the Caribbean. 2025. https://www.undp.org/es/latin-america/publicaciones/fortaleciendo-la-resilienciatraves-de-la-movilidad-humana-el-cambiante-panorama-de-la-migracion-y-el-desplazamiento-en