Strengthening Health Systems for Migrant Women, Children, and Youth Across the Migration Continuum

Today, an estimated one billion people globally are migrants, refugees, or forcibly displaced, including 49 million children displaced by conflict, violence, and disasters. Women, children, and youth affected by displacement and migration face heightened health and protection risks, compounded by persistent barriers to accessing essential and continuous services across the migration continuum. Migrant women and girls often encounter significant gaps in access to sexual and reproductive health services, as well as in prevention and response mechanisms for gender-based violence. At the same time, unaccompanied and separated children face increased vulnerability to trafficking, sexual exploitation, forced labor, and adverse health outcomes, driven by fragmented protection systems, disrupted care pathways, and limited continuity of health services across the migration continuum. Aligned with the WHO Global Action Plan on Promoting the Health of Refugees and Migrants, this session will explore how long-term health systems strengthening can better address the needs of migrant and refugee women, children, and youth through evidence-informed, gender-responsive, child-sensitive, and youth-inclusive policies and services, moving beyond short-term emergency responses. The discussion will highlight innovative and community-led solutions, recommendations to strengthen primary health care, ensure continuity of care, enhance sexual and reproductive health and mental health services for migrants and other displaced populations, and improve health information systems, research, and disaggregated data collection. The session will also highlight multisectoral collaboration, youth perspectives, and public-private partnerships to advance equitable and inclusive health systems and service delivery.