The health and well-being of migrants, their families, and communities can be affected along the migration continuum. It is therefore vital for both counties of origin and destination to have migrant-inclusive and migrant-sensitive approaches to public health.  Such a design of policy frameworks can ensure effective response to current migration challenges. 

As the leading international organization in the field of migration, IOM supports the Belarusian government in its efforts to align national migration health policies and programmes with international best practices, with a particular focus on preventing infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, hepatitis, HIV, and COVID-19. The project "Supporting National Capacities in Migration Health Focusing on Communicable Diseases" funded by the IOM Development Fund and implemented by IOM Belarus in close cooperation with the Ministry of Health, aims to generate evidence on migrants' health needs, conduct multisectoral capacity-building activities, and promote the inclusion of migrants into national public health programmes. 

One of the main objectives of the project is to ensure that specialists working with migrants are well aware of the migration health issues and the capacities are further reinforced in migrant-sensitive health services and systems for the benefit of migrants and society as a whole. A series of trainings on migration and health are planned to be carried out in Belarus to improve the knowledge of key national stakeholders, such as representatives of the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Interior, State Border Committee, non-governmental organizations, in the public health implications of migration.

On 26 July 2023, a discussion was organized for national partners representing governmental and non-governmental sectors to further explore their capacity building needs. During the discussion, national specialists with substantial technical expertise in their respective fields discussed the ways on how the design and content of the training modules can be adapted to the Belarusian context and take into account the data from the recent IOM-led research on the health vulnerabilities and needs of migrants in Belarus.  

As a result of the discussion, the commitment of the national partners to develop a migrant-sensitive and migrant-supportive health system in Belarus was reinvigorated and supported by the decision to be actively involved in the capacity-building process in migration and health. 

The future training sessions will be multidisciplinary, focused on the identified capacity-building needs of national partners and inclusive of innovative ideas and scientific evidence. The participants will have a chance to explore the main concepts related to migration and health and the best international practices in the area of migrants’ health. A strong attention will also be paid to simulation exercises and exchange of practical experience to reinforce the learning process and interaction.