Inclusion of refugees into national health systems: evidence on enablers and barriers of integration across health systems domains: Policy brief 2

Abstract

This brief is based on a research programme funded by UNHCR exploring the effectiveness and impact of different approaches to refugee inclusion and access to healthcare in lower and middleincome countries (LMICs), and in particular those approaches that support the inclusion of refugees into national health systems. It draws from a review of existing evidence, six country case studies (Peru, Kenya, Zambia, Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), Mauritania, Pakistan) and an overall synthesis of the findings.

This Brief No.2 looks at integration across health system domains - governance, health financing, service delivery (including health workforce) and health information systems. Health systems integration refers here to the process of supporting national health systems to facilitate inclusion of refugees and their access to healthcare through national systems. This involves change in policies and programmes across all of the health systems domains that foster sustainable and equitable access to healthcare for all refugees and host communities (United Nations (2018) Global Compact on Refugees (GCR)). For each health system domain, the research outlined the attributes of integration and identified barriers and enablers, pointing to leverage points for improving health system integration.