New report documents key challenges for migrants on the move in the Darien region

PAHO Report Highlights Urgency of Improving Access to Health for Migrant Populations in Darien Region

Washington, DC (PAHO) – A report released today by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) documents the key challenges facing migrants in the Darien region and calls on countries in the Americas to collaborate to strengthen disease surveillance and improve policies and programs to ensure the health of migrants.

The new report, Challenges in access to health for migrants transiting the Darien region , reveals that migrants face significant health challenges as they cross the vast jungle territory between the Colombian and Panamanian border, including lack of access to emergency medical care, adverse environmental conditions, increased risk of violence and exploitation, and exposure to infectious diseases.

“In the Americas, millions of migrants continue to be disproportionately affected by health problems due to lack of access to care, and this is particularly the case in the dangerous Darien crossing,” said PAHO Director Dr. Jarbas Barbosa.

“It is essential that countries, partners and donors come together to address the number of variants that are hampering access to timely care for migrant populations,” he added.

Over the past two years, migration in the Darien region has continued to increase, with populations moving across borders from the south to the center and ultimately to North America. This phenomenon is not only due to political and economic instability in Latin America and the Caribbean, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, but also to conflicts and challenges in other parts of the world.

In the first three months of 2024, more than 135,000 people passed through this area, mainly from Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, Peru and Venezuela, but also from Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, China and India, to name a few.

While migrants are particularly vulnerable to health problems, caused by a lack of access to preventative care and medication for pre-existing conditions, the harsh terrain of the Darien region also exposes them to extreme weather, wild animals, violence and exploitation.

The report shows that levels of vulnerability among populations in transit have also increased in recent years due to an increase in the number of migrants with disabilities, women travelling alone, pregnant women and women with children under one year old, in addition to the number of unaccompanied children and adolescents.

Due to the lack of health care along the route, migrants are often deprived of vital antenatal care, as well as care for chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and HIV. The lack of specialized services, including sexual and reproductive health, and mental health issues also compound migrants’ health problems.

Lack of access to health services, sanitation, basic hygiene and safe water, as well as consumption of unsafe and micronutrient-poor street foods and nights spent sleeping outdoors, have also increased the incidence of skin lesions, respiratory infections and foodborne diseases among children under five – the leading cause of death in this age group in both countries.

To help address these issues, the report makes six recommendations:

• Strengthen coordination and partnerships between countries to ensure a more coherent and rapid response to health situations;
• Improving access to health services for migrants in transit, as well as for host populations;
• Strengthen health surveillance and information management in accordance with the International Health Regulations (IHR);
• Strengthening institutional and community capacities to combat preventable diseases and deaths;
• Support countries in developing and strengthening policies, programmes and frameworks to address migrant health;
• Help create plans to promote preparedness, response and recovery in the context of a migrant health crisis.

PAHO continues to work with countries in the Americas to support the development of migration response plans to improve access to health for migrant and local populations, improve health surveillance, and strengthen partnerships and networks.

The Organization also works with host countries to implement health promotion campaigns on issues related to dengue prevention, sexual and reproductive health and other health topics, as well as to develop campaigns to combat xenophobia, stigma and discrimination.