Chile - IOM Chile recently trained 314 health sector officials to provide them with a detailed understanding and raise awareness about migrants’ human rights, migration and health, and trafficking in persons.

The training, which consisted of 10 workshops with 171 civil servants trained on migration and health and 143 on trafficking in persons, was held in Antofagasta and Santiago between 17 April and 30 May. The training is part of the support that IOM has been providing to the Ministry of Health to enhance migrants’ rights to health by training health workers and creating awareness-building policies in relation to migration.  

The training participants work for the health and municipal services in Arica, Iquique, Antofagasta and the Metropolitan area of Santiago. The methodological and conceptual framework of the training was developed by IOM and the workshop was carried out in close coordination with the Department for Foreigners and Migration and the Public Security Division of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.   

The content of the counter-trafficking session was based on a manual developed by IOM and the Centre Against Violence Against Women at the London School for Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM). The objective of the session was to build the capacity of the health officials and to develop protocols to address the needs of victims of trafficking in health centres.  

Maria Elena Santos, a participant from the Municipal Services in Arica region, said: “I understood that migrants have human rights and need to be treated with dignity and humanity. It's much clearer to me now and I will do my best in my work to keep fighting against abuses of migrants,” she added.  

"These initiatives contribute to the strengthening of the capacities of the Health Services in the regional and local territories and respond to the commitment that IOM has taken with the Ministry of Health of Chile in the promotion of the human rights of migrants and the struggle against trafficking in persons," said IOM Chile Chief of Mission Norberto Girón.  

For further information, please contact Sebastián Mathews at IOM Chile, Tel: +56 02 9633710, Email: iomsantiagopress@iom.int