The Work&Health project deals with the connection between work migration and infectious diseases in the Baltic Sea region.
This project highlights the spread of infection diseases (tuberculosis, hepatitis and HIV) as a consequence of work migration. In the Baltic Sea region, there are several challenges that need to be addressed. For instance, regulations in the region differ from country to country, with regard to work permit and infectious diseases. Also, restricted language skills and lack of knowledge about regulations and rights may put infected migrants in a situation where they miss treatment because they are afraid of being deported. Incidence monitoring is a challenge in itself and is only possible when work migrants are visible to healthcare of the host and the home country. The project stresses the need for cooperation of medical, public health staff, researchers and civil society.
The aim is to improve healthcare for work migrants through better disease management. The project will prepare a roadmap for better tuberculosis, hepatitis and HIV management for work migrants in the Baltic Sea region. This includes incidence monitoring, comparing access to healthcare and a molecular epidemiology study. Some of the activities are conferences, study visits and data collection.