Health of migrants: PAHO resolution (CD55/11)

Overview

Human migration poses one of the greatest public health challenges worldwide. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights instruments recognize the right of all persons to leave any country, including their own, and to return to their own country. The Constitution of the World Health Organization (WHO) states that, “The enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being without distinction of race, religion, political belief, economic or social condition.” The Strategy for Universal Access to Health and Universal Health Coverage establishes that: “This right should be promoted and protected without distinction of age, ethnicity, sex, gender, sexual orientation, language, national origin, place of birth, or any other condition. Promoting and protecting this right requires linkages with other related rights”. Health-related human rights, as established by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, belong to all persons, including migrants, refugees and other non-nationals.