During the two-day meeting in Bangkok, officials issued joint recommendations encouraging migrant-inclusive policies and multi-country partnerships to facilitate uninterrupted treatment for diseases like HIV and tuberculosis.
“In terms of public health, if we don’t have some intervention, then we’ll have a problem - especially with communicable diseases,” Chanvit Tharathep, director of Thailand’s Bureau of Health Administration, told IRIN on 14 July at the conclusion of the meeting.
Fifty-five million Asian migrants are scattered throughout the world, according to UN Development Programme. Hundreds of thousands do not have access to health services. The meeting precedes a ministerial conference to address migrant health issues on 20-21 October, in Dhaka.
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