Migrant Health and Imported Diseases: Meeting Research Challenges

What challenges do imported diseases like dengue fever, malaria or chikungunya pose for science? How do globalization, trade or climate change affect the spread of vectors that transmit this type of disease? Specialists in public and international health, clinical research, anthropology, entomology, biosafety and climate change will visit Barcelona to analyze how to better prepare for these health threats and to set priorities for research related to migrant health and imported diseases. A sharing of subjects that connect climate change, human behavior and lifestyles, factors that impact the appearance of vector-transmitted diseases.

The International Center for Scientific Debate has collaborated with the Barcelona Center for International Health Research (CRESIB) and the Institute for Global Health of Barcelona (ISGlobal) to organize this strategic meeting, at which more than 60 international scientists will debate research policies and social measures to face the global health challenges resulting from migratory movements.

This multidisciplinary meeting is organized around three main subject areas:

• Challenges in clinical research related to migrant health.
• Researching the social determinants of migrant health and improving access to healthcare.
• Relevance of imported diseases and likelihood for introduction into Europe.

Participants will discuss how to control major emerging infectious diseases and which diseases may be introduced into Europe. They will also analyze the state of the art in research on these diseases around the world and study the impact of climate change on the introduction of these diseases. The conclusions that will hopefully be derived from this event involve determining the most appropriate strategy for tackling clinical research with these groups and establishing research and funding priorities on the agenda of countries of the European Union, among other issues.

SYMPOSIUM: WHAT CHALLENGES DO IMPORTED DISEASES POSE FOR CATALONIA?

The symposium What Challenges do Imported Diseases Pose for Catalonia, organized by the International Center for Scientific Debate, the Barcelona Center for International Health Research (CRESIB) and the Institute for Global Health of Barcelona (ISGlobal), will be held on 10 March in Barcelona.

This symposium aims to analyze the challenges posed by emerging diseases as a result of global migratory patterns, possible climate change scenarios and the presence of vectors in Catalonia, the lessons learned from recent experiences and capacity to respond to the arrival of new diseases.

The program features representatives and experts from the fields of international public health, clinical research and climate change. After the conferences and a roundtable with the speakers, the debate will be opened to all participants. The symposium is geared towards experts, researchers, students, companies and professionals from the research arena in health, the environment and social sciences dealing with migratory movements.