HIV and migrant populations General problems: Immigration and xenophobia linked Immigration often linked with legal ”irregularities” – poor access to health and social services Immigration linked with secularism – cultural communication problems - counceling Immigration linked with ”different” disease patterns compared to main population Lisboa, Oct 2007 HIV and Migrant populations/Leinikki

HIV and migrant populations/2 General problems/2: Immigration linked with ”different” disease patterns compared to main population Inaccurate surveillance and poor knowledge about the actual dynamics of HIV within migrant communities Poor understanding of the risk factors Lisboa, Oct 2007 HIV and Migrant populations/Leinikki

Public health perspective: Can we provide proper counceling and treatment in a cultural-sensitive way? Do we know what is actually going on? (”hidden populations”, different groups) Can we handle the situation among illegal immigrants? (Cave discrimination!) How to meet societal challenges like xenophobia among the general population? Which strategy?: 1.Integration (help in homing etc) 2. Separate services Lisboa, Oct 2007 HIV and Migrant populations/Leinikki

Recommendations (to the meeting): Better definitions, more research and information is needed to fully understand the HIV problem among non-native populations, Legal and economic restrictions and obstacles vary from one EU-country to another, a need for ”Ombudsman” at EU level, Emphasis should be on human rights. Access to proper cARV-treatment is a useful criterium In training, target populations must be involved in the implementation Lisboa, Oct 2007 HIV and Migrant populations/Leinikki

HIV and Migrant populations/Leinikki A ”symbolic” outcry from the Northern Europe (E. Munch: Outcry Lisboa, Oct 2007 HIV and Migrant populations/Leinikki