Impacts of Covid-19 on migrant health workers

Migrant workers have been at high risk of contracting Covid-19 and experiencing adverse outcomes from it. This paper reviews research evidence from academic and grey literatures as regards how the pandemic has impacted on migrant health workers.

Five principal factors stand out as exacerbating the risks to such workers: health workforce shortages; decent work deficits, including lack of social protection; discrimination, violence and harassment; absence of social dialogue, and changing patterns of international recruitment. These factors are interlocking and have highly consequential implications not only for the rights and welfare of those workers but also for the provision of universal health care and realising rights-based, people-centered sustainable development for all countries.