A conference on "Health and Migration in the EU" was held in Lisbon on 27 and 28 September 2007 under the auspices ofthe Portuguese presidency. It brought together health ministers from across the European Union, each of whom were presented with a set of 25 "best practices" in the field of migration and health care. Featured among them was the first European study conducted by Doctors of the World (DOW) on access to health care.

The network has chosen to focus its attention on the most vulnerable groups with which the 12 DOW organisations in Europework: migrants, and in particular undocumented migrants.

The information presented in this report is unique: there are no national or more importantly, international studies that have compiled information about these groups.

Download the Report (Published September 2009)

Listen to our podcast on access to health care in the UK.

Watch the Video "DOW and migrants health"

Following this first observatory at European level and to respond to  evidence we found , the HUMA network was set up by a coalition of Doctors of the World's European NGOs. Its general objective is to promote access to health care for undocumented migrants and asylum seekers on the same grounds as nationals.

This advocacy project, set up in April 2008, is to run for three years in 19 EU Member States. The HUMA network is currently made up of 11 NGOs including DOW UK.

To learn more about this project and its activities, please consult the HUMA network’s website: www.huma-network.org