Migration-related health risks

Abstract

In the countries receiving migrants, their health problems have been paid attention to for a long time. On the one hand, their good state of health has been emphasized (in general, migrants are young and healthy), on the other hand, immigrant population has higher rates of mental health problems than both the population of the host country and the population of the country of origin. In this paper we present selected health problems characteristic of the migration process and behaviour strategies of migrants in case of illness: self-medication, limited contact with the health service in the country of residence and the use of health care in the country of origin. The mass scale of migration indicates the need to include its impact on the overall analysis of public health.

Keywords

• migration
• health risks
• public health
• health of migrants
• migrants' behaviour in disease