International Migrants Day is an opportunity to highlight that access to healthcare and preventive health measures for migrants are critical public health issues. For several years now, Santé publique France has been implementing projects targeting these populations and providing resources for healthcare professionals.
Health prevention accessible to everyone
Established by the United Nations, International Migrants Day is observed annually on December 18. Its objectives are to dispel prejudices and raise awareness of the contributions made by migrants in the economic, cultural, and social spheres, benefiting both their countries of origin and their countries of destination. It is also an opportunity to highlight that access to healthcare and preventive health measures for vulnerable migrants are critical public health issues.
For several years, Santé publique France and its partners have been implementing projects aimed at this population and providing professionals with appropriate resources.
Produced in partnership with the Committee for the Health of Exiles (Comede) and several partner organizations, the bilingual health booklets are intended for migrants in precarious situations.
They provide information on health, rights, and administrative procedures in France. Their bilingual format makes it easier to communicate with doctors, social workers, or other professionals.
A French/Pashto version (Pashto is one of Afghanistan’s two official languages and is also spoken in Pakistan) is now available.
The booklets were updated in 2021 to include information about COVID-19 and reflect various regulatory changes. They are now available in 16 languages: Albanian, Arabic, Bengali, Chinese (Mandarin), Dari, English, Haitian Creole, Georgian, Hindi, Urdu, Pashto, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Tamil, and Turkish.
They can be downloaded and are available free of charge upon request for professionals and organizations that work with migrants.
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Developed by Comede based on the daily experience of its professional team, in collaboration with Santé publique France and the Ministry of Health, the Comede Guide website—Prevention, Care, and Support for Vulnerable Foreign Nationals—is designed to provide professionals with solutions to the most common health, healthcare access, and rights issues faced by exiles in France.
Covering medical, social, legal, and psychotherapeutic aspects, this guide is designed to promote a multidisciplinary approach. The theoretical and practical information it contains is therefore complementary.
This site will eventually consist of four main sections:
Key Points
Rights and Support
Access to Care
Care and Prevention
The online edition is a first partial update of all the content from the previous print edition. Following the editions of 2003, 2005, 2008, and 2015, the Comede team, in collaboration with Santé publique France and the Ministry of Health, continues to update this site to provide a collection of articles addressing the most common issues faced by exiles in France.
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Sexual health is an integral part of overall health, and this topic should be addressed with everyone who consults a healthcare professional.
Developed in collaboration with the French Society for the Fight Against AIDS (SFLS) and the French-Speaking Society of Infectious Diseases (SPILF), this document provides practical guidelines for addressing this topic with certain migrants who have risk factors.
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11 January 2024
For several years, Santé publique France has been implementing initiatives targeting populations from French-speaking Africa living in France through a partnership with Africa Radio, the most influential African media outlet in France.
The weekly program "Santé" addresses a different prevention topic each week and airs every Thursday morning. "L’invité Santé" is a complementary initiative designed to engage social media audiences, particularly on Facebook, through short videos released every Tuesday evening.
Event-based initiatives featuring specific spots and testimonials are also organized on topics of particular relevance to this community (Living with HIV, COVID-19 vaccination).
Since March 2020, Santé publique France has produced several documents and informational materials in 27 languages for healthcare and social services professionals, the general public, and vulnerable individuals.
A regularly updated catalog of available resources features a range of posters, video clips, and audio spots produced throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Learn more about our prevention tools for healthcare professionals and the general public.
Launched in December 2021, the MOBCO newsletter is aimed at professionals and volunteers working with people in vulnerable situations.
It incorporates the latest insights in a context that is changing daily. It aims to facilitate discussions about COVID-19 vaccination with people in vulnerable situations: the homeless, migrants, travelers, sex workers, etc.
It is developed collaboratively by professionals working with the people concerned.
Santé publique France published a special issue in its quarterly journal La Santé en action for March 2021 dedicated to the health of vulnerable migrants.
As part of its health promotion efforts, the journal examines the overall health of vulnerable migrants, including health determinants, the environment, socioeconomic status, access to employment, healthcare, and prevention, as well as life trajectories, past traumas, and mental health.
This issue provides an overview of the scientific knowledge, practices, systems, and programs implemented to address the health challenges faced by migrants.
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