Johannesburg, South Africa – June 28, 2024 – The International Organization for Migration (IOM), in collaboration with Save the Children International (SCI), has successfully concluded  the 2^nd Regional Cross-Border Meeting hosted in Johannesburg. Held from 26^th- 27^th June, the event brought together key stakeholders from health, immigration, home affairs and other sectors to address the theme of "Strengthening cross-border health systems for better access to SRH and HIV services in border communities in southern Africa."

The meeting highlighted the critical need for robust health systems to support cross-border migrants and mobile populations, including seasonal cross-border workers, undocumented migrants, asylum seekers, refugees, and host communities. In some countries  these populations often face significant challenges in accessing primary health care services, making it essential to develop and strengthen cross-border health systems.

Key partners in attendance included collaborating Member States from the southern Africa region, UN Agencies and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The meeting built upon the successes of the SRHR-HIV Knows No Borders (KNB) project, funded by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (EKN) in Maputo, which has been instrumental in improving sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and HIV outcomes and access to services for migrants and vulnerable populations living in migration affected communities since 2016.

During the sessions, participants engaged in in-depth and robust discussions  aimed at:

1. Accentuating and interrogating the dynamic connection between migration and health: Examining current migration flows and their impact on health in southern Africa.

2. Improving cross-border referral systems: Identifying practical solutions for better continuity of care along migration pathways.

3. Enhancing migration health data: Assessing data needs and improving collection and utilization for future programming.

4. Joint advocacy for health systems: Identifying advocacy issues and areas for collaborative efforts in strengthening cross-border health systems.

Key recommendations from the meeting included the development of cross-border referral protocols, formalization of cross border committees and the need for consensus on border health guidelines. To strengthen migrants' access to care, the meeting recommended the need to generate evidence around migrant women’s health needs to determine better programmatic responses and include SRHR and gender-based violence (GBV) as entry points to migration health dialogues.

Around strengthening migration health data, delegates recommended the following:

• Development of a regional migration health data framework outlining the processes involved to integrate migration health into routine national data systems, with clear metrics/variables to be used in monitoring migrant access to health care.
• Promotion of health sector participation in National Migration Data Technical Working Groups/committees.
• Fostering knowledge exchange between countries through learning exchange visits.

"The International Organization for Migration remains committed to working with Member States, key stakeholders and other partners to position health coverage for migrants as a vehicle to reduce inequalities and maximize migrants’ contributions to societies. We will continue to support national and regional efforts to promote comprehensive health programmes (including SRH and HIV) along migration pathways to build resilient health systems, enhance health security and strengthen migration health governance". These were the words of the Acting Regional Director for southern Africa, Mati Hashemee, (delivered by Wonesai Sithole) in his opening remarks at the 2^nd regional cross border meeting.”

For further information, please contact Dr Hloniphile Mabuza, hmabuza@iom.int