Might Climate Change the "Healthy Migrant" Effect?

The Impact of Health and Wealth on Settlement Intention of Migrants: The Moderating Effect of Social Welfare

Background: With the rapid urbanization, citizenization of migrants is becoming the development tendency in China. It is significant to analyze the determining factors of the settlement intention of migrants.

Methods: The data we used were taken from the China Migrants Dynamic Survey (CMDS) in 2017. Multilevel mixed-effects logistic regression was used to analyze the relationship between air pollution, economic advantages, and settlement intention between different migrants and the moderating effect of social welfare.

Results: At the individual level, being female, married, urban and other ethnic, having higher education, older, and health associated with likelihood of settlement intention of migrants. Higher health education, social integration, and, have a health record were positively associated with the likelihood of settlement intention. Higher educated, urban areas, and Han migrants were willing to reduce their pursuit of health for economic development.

Conclusion: Health education and more social organizational participation can reduce the negative effect of air pollution and increase the positive effect of economic advantages on settlement intention of migrants. But, in less economically advantaged areas, it has no obvious effect. In the choice of health and wealth, the settlement intention of migrants shows difference, and unfairness and social welfare, in particular health education, can narrow this difference.

A Meta-Synthesis of Policy Recommendations Regarding Human Mobility in the Context of Climate Change

Changing mobility patterns combined with changes in the climate present challenges and opportunities for global health, requiring effective, relevant, and humane policy responses. This study used data from a systematic literature review that examined the intersection between climate change, migration, and health. The study aimed to synthesize policy recommendations in the peer-reviewed literature, regarding this type of environmental migration with respect to health, to strengthen the evidence-base. Systematic searches were conducted in four academic databases (PubMed, Ovid Medline, Global Health and Scopus) and Google Scholar for empirical studies published between 1990-2020 that used any study design to investigate migration and health in the context of climate change. Studies underwent a two-stage protocol-based screening process and eligible studies were appraised for quality using a standardized mixed-methods tool. From the initial 2425 hits, 68 articles were appraised for quality and included in the synthesis. Among the policy recommendations, six themes were discernible: (1) avoid the universal promotion of migration as an adaptive response to climate risk; (2) preserve cultural and social ties of mobile populations; (3) enable the participation of migrants in decision-making in sites of relocation and resettlement; (4) strengthen health systems and reduce barriers for migrant access to health care; (5) support and promote optimization of social determinants of migrant health; (6) integrate health into loss and damage assessments related to climate change, and consider immobile and trapped populations. The results call for transformative policies that support the health and wellbeing of people engaging in or affected by mobility responses, including those whose migration decisions and experiences are influenced by climate change, and to establish and develop inclusive migrant healthcare.

A Critical Analysis of the Drivers of Human Migration Patterns in the Presence of Climate Change: A New Conceptual Model

Both climate change and migration present key concerns for global health progress. Despite this, a transparent method for identifying and understanding the relationship between climate change, migration and other contextual factors remains a knowledge gap. Existing conceptual models are useful in understanding the complexities of climate migration, but provide varying degrees of applicability to quantitative studies, resulting in non-homogenous transferability of knowledge in this important area. This paper attempts to provide a critical review of climate migration literature, as well as presenting a new conceptual model for the identification of the drivers of migration in the context of climate change. It focuses on the interactions and the dynamics of drivers over time, space and society. Through systematic, pan-disciplinary and homogenous application of theory to different geographical contexts, we aim to improve understanding of the impacts of climate change on migration. A brief case study of Malawi is provided to demonstrate how this global conceptual model can be applied into local contextual scenarios. In doing so, we hope to provide insights that help in the more homogenous applications of conceptual frameworks for this area and more generally.

HBV molecular epidemiology and clinical condition of immigrants living in Italy

INTRODUCTION

We investigated 170 HBsAg-positive immigrants living in Italy for 1-7 years to ascertain whether they may have become infected in the host country.

METHODS

Of 2032 adult immigrants interviewed, 1727 (85%) voluntarily adhered to a screening program for bloodborne or sexually transmitted infections. HBsAg was detected in 170 (9.8%) screened immigrants who completed the diagnostic, clinical and therapeutic process at the nearest clinic of infectious diseases. HBV molecular biology was performed applying a homemade technology. Phylogenetic signal of the datasets was obtained by a likelihood-mapping analysis using TreePuzzle.

RESULTS

Of the 170 HBsAg-positive immigrants, 133 were inactive carriers, 29 had chronic hepatitis and 8 compensated cirrhosis. HBV genotype was identified in 109 of the 113 HBV-DNA-positive immigrants and HBV-genotype-E predominated (68.9%). Of these 109, 6 (5.5%) subjects showed an HBV genotype absent or extremely rare in their native country: HBV-genotype-E in three from Eastern Europe and in one from Sri Lanka, possibly acquired from other immigrants from sub-Saharan countries, HBV-genotype-D1 in one from Burkina Faso and one from Senegal, possibly acquired in Italy.

CONCLUSION

The data suggest that immigrants may acquire HBV infection in Italy and, therefore, HBV vaccination programs should be extended to all immigrants living in Italy.