Public health, drug use and migration

The Public Health Approach for improving Migrant0's Health launched in the First Global Consultation ion Migrants Health in Madrid, Spain in 2010 is highly relevant for addressing drug use among migrants. It goes beyond the consideration of migrants as a vulnerable group and seeks to address the specific risk factors faced by this population group as well as to counteract the negative impact of the migration process on the epidemiology of drug use among tis population.
In addition to this public health approach, during the presentation the case will be made to put greater emphasis on differentiating the subgroups of the migrant population for segmenting the interventions and targeting better the public health measure addressed to them: migrants in irregular situation, refugees, asylum seekers, migrants in transit, etc. Reference will be made as well to the access barriers faced by the different vulnerable groups in the European societies for identifying the complexities for ensuring equitable access to drug use treatments by the migrant population