Regional Expert Group (REG) on Migration and Health in Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECA) was established by civil society activists and researchers to develop an expert position that would help improve the quality of life of international migrants in the countries of the region. The aim of the group is to provide expertise to ensure continuous access of mobile populations to health services along the entire route from countries of origin to countries of destination in the EECA region.
In Eastern Europe and Central Asia, migration flows are massive and constant and involve millions of labor migrants, students, and refugees. Migration affects all aspects of human life, including social determinants of health. Despite the fact that most countries of the EECA region provide access to health services for their citizens, including chronic infectious diseases, they largely fail to secure healthcare for international migrants.
Regional Expert Group on Migration and Health has the following goals:
- conduct research to assess the health situation of migrants and access to healthcare services,
- present research results to the public and discussing evidence-based arguments with decision-makers, representatives of civil society, the academic community, and international organizations,
- initiate and support expert dialogue to foster cross-border cooperation between sending and receiving countries of migration, as well as creation of bilateral and multilateral agreements in the area of mobile populations health,
- create a common information space for cross-border cooperation in the area of migrant health.
REG was organized by the first Regional meeting on migration and health that took place on April 29, 2019 at the UN House in Moscow, Russia, in the presence of international representatives, government officials, members of non-profit organizations of EECA countries, and media representatives.
REG is a public non-profit association consisting of individual expert members, an Advisory Council, country representatives (one in each country of the EECA region), as well as an Executive Committee that coordinates the activities of the REG.