Health Policy
Volume 123, Issue 9, 2019, Pages 818-824

Healthcare access for refugees in Greece: Challenges and opportunities (Article)

Gunst M. , Jarman K. , Yarwood V. , Rokadiya S. , Capsaskis L. , Orcutt M. , Abbara A.*
  • a Sydney Children's Hospital Network, Sydney, Australia
  • b Royal Free Hospital, London, United Kingdom
  • c St George's University Hospitals, NHS Foundation Trust, MSF 6 GP Trainee, London, United Kingdom
  • d Infectious Diseases and General Medicine Registrar, Barts Health NHS Trust, United Kingdom
  • e Academy Stavros Niarchos Foundation Fellow (2017), Chatham House, London, United Kingdom
  • f Institute of Global Health, University College, London, United Kingdom
  • g Imperial College, London, United Kingdom

Abstract

The arrival of more than one million refugees and migrants in Europe in 2015, most of whom transited through Greece, has placed significant strains on local health systems and demonstrated the need for preparedness to meet the immediate and longer-term health needs of arrivals in EU countries. Population movements will continue to occur and the need for cost effective, appropriate provision of both primary and secondary health services to meet these needs is key. The Global Compact on Migration was ratified in 2018 and forms an overarching, international agreement to address safe, orderly and regular migration which benefits refugees and migrants as well as host communities; however, it did not give due emphasis to health. In this manuscript, we explore the evolution of the health response for refugees in Greece over the last three years, the challenges faced at different times of the response and the efforts to integrate refugees into Greece's health system. © 2019 Elsevier B.V.

Author Keywords

Greece Health War migrant Syria Universal health coverage Refugee

Index Keywords

publication Greece refugee Article Syrian Arab Republic health insurance human health care access
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85067348074&doi=10.1016%2fj.healthpol.2019.06.003&partnerID=40&md5=7e626632e153b3764d4d72c8436a1379
DOI: 10.1016/j.healthpol.2019.06.003
ISSN: 01688510
Cited by: 1
Original Language: English