2.M. Round table: Improving access to health promotion for children with a migrant or ethnic minority background
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Improving access to health promotion and preventive services for children and adolescents experiencing vulnerabilities, including those with migrant and ethnic minority backgrounds, is critical for reducing persistent health inequities. Despite evidence that health promotion can effectively address risk factors and long-term negative outcomes, many countries still underinvest in prevention, leaving disadvantaged youth with high unmet needs and barriers to care. The disparities in health outcomes for children from disadvantaged backgrounds, for example, in obesity rates and oral health, underscore the urgency of targeted promotion and preventive interventions for vulnerable population groups. Although numerous services are, in principle, available in many European countries, financial constraints, administrative challenges, language barriers and a lack of awareness about the existing service landscape may pose insurmountable barriers to accessing and using health promotion and preventive services. To address these barriers, innovative efforts are needed to ensure equitable access to and use of necessary services for all children and adolescents, regardless of socioeconomic status. Outreach efforts play a vital role in increasing the use of health services. Expanding school health services is among the strategies proposed to improve access and awareness, as all children can be reached through schools, and schools in deprived areas can be targeted. Developing targeted communication campaigns is another example. These efforts aim to enhance the uptake of preventive and health-promoting services, driving towards improved health equity and access. In this workshop, the presenters invite the audience to discuss ways to improve access to health promotion and preventive services for children and adolescents with a migrant or ethnic minority background. More concretely, the workshop is structured around three questions: 1. What are the challenges that children and adolescents with a migrant and ethnic minority background face in accessing services? 2. What are some policy examples of how to reach them and ensure the uptake of services? 3. How can we, as a research and policy advocacy community, engage with policymakers to improve services? The workshop starts with four short presentations on the latest research or country examples of innovative initiatives or programmes to improve access to health promotion and preventive services for children and adolescents with a migrant or ethnic minority background. Furthermore, the WHO Regional Office for Europe will provide a comment on how they, together with UNICEF Europe and the Central Asia Regional Office, are jointly developing a strategy to address the health challenges faced by children and adolescents across the region. Afterwards, the speakers and the audience will engage in a discussion on how access for children and adolescents can be improved and what research and policies will be needed to ensure equitable access to these services. Key messages • Innovative and collaborative approaches are essential for overcoming the barriers in access to health promotion and preventive services among vulnerable children and adolescents. • Strengthening research and cross-country learning can drive the development of effective strategies to reach and support all children.
Authors: Organised by: European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, EUPHA Child and Adolescent Public Health section, EUPHA Migrant and Ethnic Minority Health section, Chair persons: Sonia Dias (EUPHA-MIG), Ewout Van Ginneken (Germany)
Language: English
Topic: Child and Adolescent Health
Subfield: General Health Professions
Field: Health Professions
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,181
OpenAlex ID: W7101447500
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