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Health for refugees, health for all: A shared safeguard
On World Refugee Day 2026, the World Health Organization (WHO) joins the global community in reaffirming that the right to seek safety is universal and must be protected for all. As the world marks 75 years of the 1951 Refugee Convention, WHO calls for inclusive, resilient and welcoming systems that uphold refugees’ rights to protection, safety and dignity, recognizing that access to protection is inseparable from access to continuous, culturally-sensitive quality health care.
There are over 117.8 million people forcibly displaced worldwide, 38% of whom are children, with 68% hosted in low- and middle-income countries. Throughout the displacement journey, disruptions to safe housing, water and sanitation, livelihoods, social protection and essential health services can increase health risks and deepen existing vulnerabilities. There is an urgent need to invest in sustainable, integrated, and resilient systems that can respond to the needs of displaced populations and host communities.
“No one is safe until everyone is safe” is a core public health principle. As conflict, political instability, climate change, and disasters continue to shape human mobility and deepen vulnerabilities, evidence shows that exclusion from health services increases inequities and weakens preparedness, while delaying care and ultimately increasing the cost of health responses on already overstretched health systems.
Notably, refugees also contribute significantly to health systems in their host communities, for instance as health workers, caregivers, researchers, entrepreneurs and community leaders, helping to build stronger, healthier and more resilient societies. Their meaningful inclusion and participation are therefore essential to advancing health for all.
Overview of progress: From commitment to action
The recently released World report on promoting the health of refugees and migrants, drawing on data provided by 93 Member States, provides the first global baseline for monitoring implementation of the 2019-2030 WHO global action plan on promoting the health of refugees and migrants. The findings reflect promising progress, with 67% of responding countries including refugees and migrants in national health policies, strategies or plans. Yet, significant gaps remain: only 37% of countries report collecting and using migration-related health data, 42% include refugees and migrants in emergency preparedness and response planning, and 40% support their participation in health policy and service planning. The report highlights that advancing refugees’ health requires inclusive, evidence-informed health systems, with strong preparedness and response capacities. It calls for stronger leadership, sustained investment, improved data and accountability, and greater participation of refugees and migrants in health planning and governance.
Key recent highlights in refugee health promotion
WHO’s Special Initiative on Health and Migration collaborates with countries, UN agencies and other partners towards building stronger and more inclusive health systems. Key recent highlights include:
- identifying research gaps and priorities, and facilitating the translation of these into policy and practice through the participatory Global Research Prioritization Exercise on health, migration and displacement in the context of climate change, regional research agenda on health, migration and displacement in the WHO Western Pacific Region, and national research agenda setting;
- translating scientific evidence on refugee and migrant health into practical policy insights through the Global Evidence on Health and Migration Series, covering climate change, mental health, dementia, immunization, noncommunicable diseases, antibiotics access, and COVID-19;
- fostering experience sharing by showcasing 167 promising practices from over 70 Member States, documented between 2022 and 2025 on the Dashboard on Global Experiences in Promoting Refugee and Migrant Health - the fourth open call welcomes entries till 15 September 2026;
- conducting in-depth health system assessments in Bulgaria, Czechia, Estonia, Jordan, Lithuania, Thailand and Uganda, contributing to tangible policy shifts and the integration of refugee health into national health planning;
- strengthening global health workforce capacity through WHO’s flagship Global School on Refugee and Migrant Health, training more than 20 000 policymakers, health professionals, researchers, and practitioners from 148 countries. Following editions in Switzerland, Jordan, Bangladesh, Senegal, and Colombia, the seventh Global School will be hosted in Madrid, Spain; and
- advancing competency-based, culturally sensitive care for refugees and migrants, including the recent integration of the WHO Global Competency Standards into the University of Tartu curriculum in Estonia, and the delivery of a global e-learning course on the Competency Standards (reaching participants in 113 countries and awarding over 600 certificates).
Key highlights in refugee health preparedness and response
The WHO Health Emergencies Programme works with countries, UN agencies and partners to strengthen emergency preparedness and response for refugees, displaced populations and host communities.
Coordination of refugee health emergencies
WHO coordinated and supported large-scale health emergency responses in Bangladesh, Lebanon and the occupied Palestinian territory, working with governments and partners to strengthen disease surveillance, outbreak preparedness and response, emergency medical services, medical supply chains, immunization, mental health and psychosocial support, and services for survivors of gender-based violence.
Strengthening surveillance, preparedness and outbreak response
In refugee-hosting and displacement-affected settings across Ethiopia, Kenya, Pakistan, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda, WHO supported disease surveillance, early warning systems, outbreak preparedness and response, immunization activities, and the prevention and control of communicable diseases, including cholera, measles and malaria.
Supporting essential health services in humanitarian settings
In Chad, Egypt, Jordan, South Sudan, Sudan and Türkiye, WHO supported the continuity of essential health services for refugees, returnees, displaced populations and host communities through emergency coordination, vaccination campaigns, rehabilitation of health facilities, communicable disease control, mental health support, and strengthened primary and emergency health care services.
Preparedness for population movements
In Colombia and other countries experiencing large-scale population movements, WHO strengthened emergency preparedness, risk assessment, disease surveillance, coordination mechanisms and local response capacities to address the health needs of refugees and host communities.