IOM together with the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Moldova recently released the results of a joint study titled "Moldovan Migrants' Health - Impact of the Socio-Economic Welfare".

The study carried out during the period January to March 2010, polled 2,300 respondents in 12 regions of the country and examined factors contributing to migrants' health such as access to health services in Moldova and abroad and health problems exacerbated by migration such as transmission of HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases.

The study was undertaken to inform the development of relevant state polices and activities regarding migrants' health and the health system in Moldova and targeted three distinct migrant-related groups including: Moldovan migrants; family members of migrants receiving remittances and migrants' family members not receiving remittances.

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	Moldovan Migrants' Health: Impact of the Socio-Economic Welfare

The study revealed an overall "negligence" amongst the respondents regarding health care, however this was particularly true of migrants, who reported postponing medical visits until their return to Moldova, and seeking medical services in the host country only in emergency cases due to the high cost of medical services abroad and pressure at the workplace (inability to take time off from work, fear of losing their job, etc.).  Based on the survey, migrants were half-as-likely to seek state-provided medical services as the rest of the population and the medical insurance coverage rate among families affected by migration at about 15 per cent lower than the wider population.  This reflects partly the average age of migrants and lack of eligibility, but also a general scepticism of medical insurance reported by migrants and their families.

The study also found that migrants associate migration with certain inherent risks for their health and psychosocial well being. These risks are attributed to the process of emigration including separation from family, living and working conditions in the host country, and frequent lack of legal documentation. 

Specific conditions reported which pose potential health risks include: the living environment in the host country (nearly 16 per cent of migrants live in improvised dwellings - trailers, basements, unfinished constructions, etc.); work schedule (six out of ten migrants reported working more than eight hours per day, eight out of ten worked more than five days per week); and working conditions (high noise levels, contaminated air and working at heights with no proper equipment when exposed to such conditions). According to the report the rate of work-related accidents amongst Moldovans working abroad is tens times higher than on the national labour market.

According to the survey, migrants were also at significant risk for transmission of HIV and STD infections based on an increased incidence of "casual" sexual encounters.

The research was carried out within the framework of the IOM project "Managing the Impact of Migration on the Healthcare System of Moldova" with funding from the IOM 1035 Facility and methodological and financial support from the World Health Organization and UNAIDS.

A copy of the report, "Moldovan Migrants' Health: Impact of the Socio-Economic Welfare", can be seen on the IOM Moldova website at: http://www.iom.md/index.php/en/media-center/146-new-publication-migrants-health-study.

For more information, please contact:

Simion Terzioglo
IOM Moldova
Tel: + 373 22/ 23 29 40/41 Ext. 104
E-mail: sterzioglo@iom.int