On University HealthCare Coverage day, Medecins du Monde’s (MdM) 2019 Observatory Report Left Behind: The State of Universal Healthcare Coverage in Europe is a timely reminder of the dismal health situation faced by many vulnerable groups in 7 EU countries; a region with a clear commitment to human solidarity and vast wealth.
This report presents a unique insight into the state of Universal Healthcare Coverage (UHC) in Europe and highlights those who are left behind in European health systems. The report gathers data and testimonies collected from 29,359 people (97.5% migrants) attending Médecins du Monde/Doctors of the World (MdM) programmes in seven countries in Europe (Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Sweden, Switzerland, and United Kingdom) between January 2017 and December 2018.
Participant gathered at the “Workshop on Undertaking Bibliometric Analysis of Migration Health Research” on Nov 11-13, 2019. Photo: IOM/Ray Leyesa, 2019
Manila – IOM, the Migration & Health South Asia network and the Migration Health and Development Research Initiative (MHADRI) – a global network of researchers aimed to advance evidence-informed global migration health policies and practices, jointly organized a workshop on undertaking bibliometric analysis of migration health research. Participants ranged from government, academia, clinical practice and research institutions, mainly from South and Southeast Asia.
“Bibliometric analysis is a useful research method as it lets you look at the patterns of research activities such a publication. In any global health field, it is extremely helpful to know where the work is being done, who is doing it, where the collaborations are happening, and what topics are being explored,” said Dr. Margaret Sampson, an international expert on bibliometric analysis who facilitated the workshop. Bibliometrics is an important first step in undertaking systematic review as it reveals patterns in publications in terms of authorship, geographical distribution, international research collaboration, and important themes discussed in the realm of migration and health.
The workshop also served as a venue among migration health actors and scholars to explore research questions on the research productivity relating to migration and health at the global, regional, sub-regional, and national levels as well as the research productivity relating to migration and health, focusing on specific themes such as migrant type, health outcomes (e.g., infectious diseases, non-communicable diseases, nutrition, mental health), among others.
Queen Mary University and the British Council, UK provided funding support to leading migration health scholars from Pakistan, India and Bangladesh as part of the Migration & Health South Asia network.
Expounding on the value of bibliometric research methods to map landscape of migration health research productivity, Associate Professor Charles Hui, Chairperson of MHADRI network and Chief of Infectious Diseases at Children’s Hospital Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, said that, “the workshop provided an excellent opportunity to build research capacity among Global South scholars, to enable them to go back and take deep dives to understand the research productivity in the field of migration health in their local areas and use that as evidence to move the field forward.”
The workshop was the first ever of this kind and IOM working with partner organizations and research networks seeks to facilitate these in other regions. In 2018, IOM and MHADRI network undertook a bibliometric analysis of global migration health research in peer-reviewed literature. The data showed major gaps in the research productivity especially in the ‘global south’. To read the full paper: Bibliometric analysis of global migration health research in peer-reviewed literature (2000–2016)
HUMANITIES GRADUATE CENTRE SEMINAR ROOM, UNIVERSITY OF THE WITWATERSRAND, JOHANNESBURG
We invite applications for a two-day workshop aimed at postgraduate students and postdoctoral fellows working on migration and health in southern Africa. Sessions will be run on methods and ethics, theoretical and conceptual approaches to the study of migrant health, refugee health with international experts.
The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine is a world-leading centre for research and postgraduate education in public and global health. Our mission is to improve health and health equity in the UK and worldwide; working in partnership to achieve excellence in public and global health research, education and translation of knowledge into policy and practice. In 2018, the School established a small Berlin office in collaboration with the Centre Global Health at the Charite Medical School.
We are seeking a Research Assistant based at LSHTM’s Berlin office where the project PI is based. The post entails periods of extensive field work in South Africa and close collaboration with colleagues at the Africa Centre for Migration and Society (ACMS) at the University of Witwatersrand, and the University of Cape Town. This is an exciting opportunity to be involved in ground-breaking research on gender, migration and health systems and would suit someone seeking to establish themselves as a researcher in this field, with a strong interest in health policy and systems work.
The post-holder will have a key role in coordinating the research grant focused on gender, migration and health systems in South Africa. This involves activities throughout the project cycle including conducting data collection/ analysis, drafting research publications and presenting findings, and participating in the research process and the life of LSHTM Berlin and wider community on migration and health linked to the ACMS. The post-holder will deal with logistics including convening the advisory board, ethics applications, developing/maintaining a project website and coordinating the monthly project call.
The appointee must have a postgraduate degree in a relevant field, experience in qualitative research and analysis in migration and gender and experience of field work in low and middle income countries. They must have excellent interpersonal and organisational skills, including the ability to communicate effectively. Interest in health policy and systems research is desirable. Further particulars are included in the job description.
This post is funded until June 2021, with potential for extension pending funding confirmation, and is subject to LSHTM terms and conditions. The salary is on the Academic Scale, Grade 5 £34,238 – £39,304 per annum (inclusive of London weighting). No relocation allowance will be paid. Annual leave entitlement is 30 working days per year. In addition, there are discretionary “Director’s Days”. Membership of the Pension Scheme is available.
Applications should be made at http://jobs.lshtm.ac.uk and include the names of 2 referees. Applications are accepted until 10pm on the closing date. Queries regarding the process may be addressed to jobs@lshtm.ac.uk.
The supporting statement should set out how your qualifications, experience and training meet each of the selection criteria. Please provide one or more paragraphs addressing each criterion. The supporting statement is an essential part of the process and failure to provide this information means the application will not be considered. Answers such as “Please see attached CV” are considered unacceptable.
Please note, if shortlisted but unable to attend the interview it may not be possible to offer alternative dates.
