Multistakeholder Pledge: National health system inclusion

Key outcomes

Commitments which form part of this multi-stakeholder pledge will contribute towards new financial, technical, or material support for host country policies, services, and systems that advance inclusion and durable solutions; providing refugees with healthcare through strengthened national systems.

Commitments related to Achieving inclusion in national health systems may include:

• Law & policy. Changes in national legislative frameworks such as health laws and national health policies as well as the inclusion of refugees into national social health protection schemes, including into non-contributory systems. Pledges will focus on the different dimensions of health and health services, including preventive, promotive, curative, rehabilitative and palliative care, and may also link with inclusion of refugees with disabilities into national systems, including access to assistive devices and rehabilitation.
• Programmes. Financial support for sustainable inclusion in health system and social health protection schemes; technical support to enable policy change; capacity building of personnel and volunteers; support to health service delivery in refugee hosting areas through infrastructure adjustments, human resources, medical products and technology; fostering work opportunities for accredited refugee health care providers; community engagement and mobilisation in health actions; expanding the use of mobile technologies for telemedicine. Linked measures to overcome barriers related to language and culture to access healthcare at local level and make services culturally relevant. Work in settings outside formal healthcare settings, such as leveraging school settings to deliver health services and strengthening referral pathways between service providers who provide child-critical services. Barriers for accessing health services and systems for refugees with disabilities.
• Data & evidence. To support evidence-informed planning, programming, monitoring and inclusive law and policy making through the provision of tools, expertise, and data disaggregated by age and gender to advance measurement and build the evidence-base related to refugees’ inclusion in national health systems and improved health outcomes for refugees and the communities who host them.

Commitments related to Fostering mental health and psychosocial wellbeing for refugees and host communities may include:

• Law & policy. Changes in national legislative frameworks such as laws and policies around health, education, protection from gender-based violence (GBV), social welfare and community development. Pledges will also include elements of emergency preparedness and response to support states and non-state actors in preparing for mental health and psychosocial outcomes due to displacement-related emergencies in order to protect the mental health and psychosocial well-being of forcibly displaced and stateless people and host communities alike.
• Programmes. Financial support to advance and enable sustainable inclusion in mental health system and social protection schemes including through innovative, flexible and predictable funding mechanisms; technical support to enable policy change; capacity building of personnel and volunteers, support to MHPSS service delivery in refugee hosting areas through infrastructure adjustments, human resources, survivor-centred approaches, etc; fostering work opportunities for accredited refugee MHPSS providers; community engagement and mobilization in MHPSS actions; expanding the use of mobile technologies for telemedicine. Linked measures to overcome barriers related to language and culture to effectively access services and supports for mental health and psychosocial support at local level. The expansion of civil society programmes for refugee- and host community-inclusive services to bridge gaps where national services are not fully available or accessible and in line with national legislation.
• Data & evidence. To support evidence-informed planning, programming, monitoring and inclusive law and policy making through the provision of tools, expertise, and data disaggregated by age and gender to advance measurement and build the evidence-base related to refugees’ inclusion in national systems and improved outcomes related to mental health and psychosocial well-being for refugees and the communities who host them.

Background

UNHCR and WHO jointly launched the Group of Friends of Health for Refugees and Host Communities on 9 May 2023 intended for states and other stakeholders considering making a pledge relating to health at the GRF 2023. It is envisioned that the Group will develop one or more multistakeholder health pledges aimed to strengthen access to healthcare for refugees and their host communities.

Pledge description

The pledges aspire to foster refugees’ access to strengthened national health services at affordable costs in at least 15 refugee hosting countries. The Group seeks to mobilise multistakeholder pledges bringing together refugee-hosting countries, donor countries, multilateral donors, foundations, non-state actors, private sector, academia and other partners to effectively include refugees in strengthened national health systems and enhance responsibility-sharing with host countries.

Two pledges are proposed:

• Achieving inclusion in national health systems: Support to national health systems to facilitate inclusion of refugees through policy changes to advance on inclusion, supported by financial, material and capacity strengthening, to foster access to quality health services for refugees and host communities.
• Fostering mental health and psychosocial well-being: Systematically integrate mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) in humanitarian, development and peace-building programmes, through policy changes to inclusion, supported by financial, material and capacity strengthening, to foster access to quality services for refugees and host communities.

It is envisioned that new and existing policies will be pre-matched by donors, IFIs, international organizations, UN, NGOs, and private sector with financial, technical or material support.

Related pledges to match

GRF-00417 - Promover la cobertura de aseguramiento a flujos migratorios laborales ordenados del 100% de los casos de refugiados y so.

GRF-00456 - Government of Djibouti - Improve investments in healthcare services by strengthening health facilities at all levels (I, II and III) in refugee hosting areas. Find out more about matching this pledge.

GRF-00473 - Government of Egypt - Assistance/health, w universal coverage for all, adopting a National Law and bylaws stipulating access to health within existing coverage systems Find out more about matching this pledge.

GRF-00480 - Government of El Salvador - Improving health care services for internally displaced persons, deported persons in need of protection, refugees and asylum seekers Find out more about matching this pledge.

GRF-00571 - Government of Ghana - Every child enjoys free education up to senior high school. Primary health care and UHC for all, including refugees. Find out more about matching this pledge.

GRF-00501 - Government of Kenya - Inclusion of refugees in County Development Plans and area-based approaches to building resilience by mitigating the impact of protracted displacement on host communities and preparing refugees for solutions Find out more about matching this pledge.

GRF-00536 - Government of Lebanon - Reaffirmation of Commitments expressed by the Government of Lebanon at the Brussels Conferences on supporting the Future of Syria and the Region, and the joint monitoring framework for implementation Find out more about matching this pledge.

GRF-00616 - Government of Malawi - Inclusion in National Development Agenda Find out more about matching this pledge.

GRF-00664 - Government of Mauritania - Ensure the inclusion of refugees in health services under the same conditions as nationals Find out more about matching this pledge.

GRF-00702 - Government of Mozambique - pledges to continue the local integration practice, aiming at stronger synergies between refugees and host communities, and increase access to education, health and basic services for refugees and host communities by 2023. Find out more about matching this pledge.

GRF-00705 - Government of Namibia - The Government supports the Osire clinic that serves refugees, including deployment of medical staff, medical equipment, medicines, etc; the government also supports access to wrk permits by refugee medical professionals to serve in government and private hospitals.

GRF-00778 - Government of Nigeria - Nigeria pledges to ensure the availability and access to durable solutions for refugees and IDPs Find out more about matching this pledge.

GRF-00749 - Government of Sudan - Integrate health services for refugees in National Health System in a gradual manner Find out more about matching this pledge.

GRF-01017 - Government of Uganda - Promote access, quality, and inclusiveness of national health services for refugees and host communities Find out more about matching this pledge.

Leadership

• WHO

Supported by UNHCR.

Contact details

Sandra Harlass, Senior Public Health Officer, UNHCR, [email protected]

Calendar

• August 29 – Next “Group of Friends of Health for Refugees and Host Communities” meeting
• September - Consultations with small groups/individual organisations to support development of individual/ multistakeholder pledges
• September-December 2023 - Pledge development