UL hosts Irish EU Presidency associated event exploring migrant health research

Leading national and international experts have gathered at University of Limerick to highlight the importance of involving migrants in research about their health.

The Irish EU Presidency associated event was an initiative of the Refugee Migrant Health Partnership, a collaboration between UL’s World Health Organisation (WHO) Collaborating Centre for Participatory Health Research with Refugees and Migrants and the Department of Health, Dublin.

Over 150 delegates from 15 countries attended the combined two-day event, with 18 NGOs represented as well as multiple academic institutions, health service and health policy organisations.

Minister of State at the Department of Health, Jennifer Murnane O’Connor, Minister of State for Older People and Housing, Kieran O’Donnell, Mayor of Limerick, John Moran, and UL President Professor Shane Kilcommins were also among those in attendance.

Minister Murnane O’Connor said: “Migration is an important determinant of health, influencing how people access services, participate in society and experience wellbeing. The principles underpinning this conference strongly align with Ireland’s commitment to health equity through Sláintecare and Healthy Ireland. By working in partnership with migrant communities and embedding participation in policy development, research and service design, we can better address the social determinants of health and reduce inequalities.”

Minister O’Donnell said: “This conference provided an important opportunity to promote the sharing of knowledge and participatory approaches across EU member states to improve health and wellbeing outcomes for migrants in Europe.

“I wish to acknowledge UL’s World Health Organisation (WHO) Collaborating Centre for Participatory Health Research with Refugees and Migrants, the UL School of Medicine and the Department of Health for organising and hosting this Irish EU Presidency associated event.”

The first day of the event focused on Ireland and included plenary panel discussions and presentations on the theme of ‘Exploring how the social determinants of health impact on migrants living in Ireland’ and included speakers from NGOs in Limerick, Galway, Waterford and Dublin, HSE National Social Inclusion Office, HSE Public Health, the Department of Health and the World Health Organisation.

Professor Colum Dunne, Head of UL's School of Medicine, said: “It is honour for the UL School of Medicine to host this event, which reflects our ongoing support for interdisciplinary research that benefits from partnership between academic leaders in this topic and the lived experience of migrants to Ireland. 

“This event is important. It emphasises a considerable health challenge. In that context, the School of Medicine will continue to host the WHO Collaborating Centre and its ambitions focused on improving migrant health in Ireland, and beyond.”

Professor Anne MacFarlane, Director of UL’s WHO Collaborating Centre, noted the significance of the event.

“It is vital that migrants, just like any other patient or population group, have opportunities to influence research about their health. Participatory approaches are very suitable to support migrants’ involvement in research because they focus on migrants lived experience and expertise. 

“From this we can learn together about how migration is a social determinant of health and what needs to be done to optimise migrants’ health and well-being,” Professor MacFarlane added.

Doras, the Limerick based support and advocacy organisation for refugees and migrants in Ireland, is a founding community partner in the Refugee and Migrant Health Partnership. Tahereh Fardin Tabrizi of Doras said: “We greatly value our involvement in UL’s WHO Collaborating Centre. Through our ongoing engagement with refugees and migrants, we are able to ensure that their many perspectives and voices shape its important ongoing research.”

The second day of the event had a European focus around the theme ‘Participatory approaches to improve the health and wellbeing of migrants in Europe’, included a keynote speech by Dr Santino Severoni, Director of the Special Initiative for Migration Health, WHO, Geneva who presented findings from the recently launched World Report on promoting the health of migrants.

Dr Severoni said: “The WHO World Report on promoting the health of refugees and migrants shows that inclusive health systems are not only a matter of equity and human rights—they are essential for stronger public health and more resilient societies. Meaningful participation of migrants in research and policy development is fundamental to designing health systems that respond to people's real needs. This conference is an excellent example of how research, policy and lived experience can come together to advance more inclusive and effective health systems across Europe.”

Creative activities interspersed through the conference programmes both days were led by Professor Helen Phelan, Director of the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance and Co-Director of the Participatory Health Research Unit. 

Using breathing, humming and singing as tasters of how music can connect diverse individuals in a shared experience in a group context, delegates enjoyed the opportunity to sing together with singers from India, Ukraine and the US.

Delegates also heard from Professor Sonia, President of the Migrant Section of the European Public Health Alliance about best practice for participatory research; from migrants and academics who have worked together on participatory research in Ireland, Sweden, France, Spain, Portugal, Greece and in Eastern European countries bordering Ukraine; and from national leaders in Public Health and Social Inclusion who are taking actions to improve opportunities for migrants to influence health services.

Further information on the WHO Collaborating Centre for Participatory Health Research with Refugees and Migrants can be found here.

For more on the programme of the Irish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, see here.