In the final article in a six-part PLoS Medicine series on migration & health, Anita Davies and colleagues from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) discuss the specific health risks and policy needs associated with return migration. As global migration increases generally, so too does return to home countries, where the health of returnees is impacted by the cumulative exposure to social determinants and risk factors of health during the migration process, during the return movement, and following return. The authors say that "to maintain and improve the health of returning migrants, multi-sectoral policies at global and national levels should facilitate access to appropriate and equitable health services, social services, and continuity of care across and within borders."
Funding: No specific funding was received to write this paper.
Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
Citation: Davies AA, Borland RM, Blake C, West HE (2011) The Dynamics of Health and Return Migration. PLoS Med 8(6): e1001046. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1001046
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International Organization for Migration
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PLOS Medicine