Representatives of 14 labour exporting countries in South and South
East Asia are meeting in Bangkok today to discuss the health
challenges facing Asia's 55 million labour migrants.

The two-day meeting, which is hosted by Thailand and organized
by WHO, UNDP, UNAIDS, JUNIMA, ILO and IOM, will address the lack of
access to health services experienced by hundreds of thousands of
Asian migrant workers abroad.

Participants include representatives of health, labour, overseas
employment and foreign affairs ministries from Afghanistan,
Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Myanmar,
Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam.

The meeting aims to develop a common understanding on the main
health challenges and priorities associated with labour migration
in and from South and South East Asia and particularly to the Arab
States.

These include, but are not limited to, health education and
health promotion, universal access to HIV prevention, care and
support, psychosocial assistance, workplace injuries, and
communicable diseases such as tuberculosis and sexually transmitted
infections (STIs.)

"The plan is to facilitate dialogue and build consensus among
stakeholders to agree on key recommendations for action that will
improve the health and well-being of Asian labour migrants and
their families," says IOM's Asian Regional Migration Health Manager
Dr. Jaime Calderon.

"Another objective is to identify key ministerial advocacy
venues such as the Colombo Process, Abu Dhabi Dialogue and Global
Forum on Migration and Development where policy measures and
effective collaboration can be discussed and agreed upon,
especially with the primary countries of destination in the Arab
States," he adds.

The 61st World Health Assembly Resolution on the Health of
Migrants called on WHO member states to promote migrant-inclusive
health policies and to promote equitable access to health education
and care for migrants.

For more information please contact:

Dr. Jaime Calderon

IOM Bangkok

Tel. +66.2.343.9350

Email: "mailto:jcalderon@iom.int" target="" title=
"">jcalderon@iom.int