Abstract
Johannesburg is home to a diverse migrant population and a range of urban health challenges. Locally informed and implemented responses to migration and health that are sensitive to the particular needs of diverse migrant groups are urgently required. In the absence of a coordinated response to migration and health in the city, the Johannesburg Migrant Health Forum (MHF) – an unfunded informal working group of civil society actors – was established in 2008. We assess the impact, contributions and challenges of the MHF on the development of local-level responses to migration and urban health in Johannesburg to date. In this Commentary, we draw on data from participant observation in MHF meetings and activities, a review of core MHF documents, and semi-structured interviews conducted with 15 MHF members.The MHF is contributing to the development of local-level migration and health responses in Johannesburg in three key ways: (1) tracking poor quality or denial of public services to migrants; (2) diverse organisational membership linking the policy process with community experiences; and (3) improving service delivery to migrant clients through participation of diverse service providers and civil society organisations in the Forum. Our findings indicate that the MHF has a vital role to play in supporting the development of appropriate local responses to migration and health in a context of continued – and increasing – migration, and against the backdrop of rising anti-immigrant sentiments.
Highlights
Johannesburg is home to a diverse migrant population and a range of urban health challenges
* Correspondence: jovearey@gmail.com 1African Centre for Migration & Society (ACMS), University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa 2Department of Conflict Resolution, Human Security & Global Governance, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, USA Full list of author information is available at the end of the article cross-border migrants comprising between three and 4% of the South African population [3, 4] – migrants are unevenly distributed across the country
Cities such as Johannesburg, and certain inner-city suburbs, such as Hillbrow, are home to a higher density of internal migrants and non-nationals than other parts of the country [5]. What do these migration patterns mean for the provision and uptake of health services in the inner city? Firstly, while there is evidence of a ‘healthy migrant effect’ – whereby those who migrate tend to have a better health status compared to the host population – and while non-national migrants do not appear to travel to Johannesburg to access healthcare, they may require it
Summary
Participation in policy consultations such as the national migration and health consultation co-hosted by the IOM and the ACMS, Wits (2010, 2013) and the annual South African AIDS Conference (via a national working group on migration and HIV).
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
