Geneva — “Improving migrants’ access to health care amid the Covid-19 pandemic” is the theme of a high-level panel co-organized on Thursday by the Permanent Mission of Morocco to the United Nations Office at Geneva, an event marked by the participation of a host of senior officials from international organizations, experts and diplomats.
Initiated in a virtual format as part of the commemoration of Universal Health Coverage Day, this panel, co-organized with Portugal, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and the Friends of Migration organization, was an opportunity to examine the impact of the health crisis on migrants and displaced people, as well as ways to promote health care for these people in the particular context of the new coronavirus pandemic.
The panel which illustrates Morocco’s leadership on the migration issue, was also the opportunity to present the proactive policy initiated by the Kingdom to promote social support for migrants and guarantee the access to health services for these people, in addition to the solidarity actions undertaken by Morocco to support African countries in their efforts to fight the pandemic.
Speaking at this event, attended by the Director General of IOM, Antonio Vitorino, and of the President of IFRC, Francesco Rocca, the Ambassador Permanent Representative of Morocco to the United Nations Office in Geneva and international organizations Omar Zniber, noted that to overcome the current global health crisis, migrants and displaced people must be taken into account in the overall response to Covid-19, with particular attention to marginalized and vulnerable populations.
He said that the impact of the pandemic appears to be exacerbated for migrants, especially women, girls and children, and further magnified in contexts of vulnerability, conflict and emergency.
In addition to the health risks, the Covid-19 has given rise to a wide range of challenges for migrants, refugees and human mobility, particularly in relation to the loss of jobs and livelihoods, discrimination, increase in xenophobia and stigma, he said.
He also stressed that “guaranteeing non-discriminatory access to health care is a key aspect to achieve the commitment to universal health coverage”.
He added that with the news about promising vaccines, “we need urgent and dedicated efforts to ensure equitable access to a COVID-19 vaccine for migrants and displaced people, especially communities with fragile health systems.”
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