Society guideline links: Health care for immigrants and refugees

Introduction — 

This topic includes links to society and government-sponsored guidelines from selected countries and regions around the world. We will update these links periodically; newer versions of some guidelines may be available on each society's website. Some societies may require users to log in to access their guidelines.

The recommendations in the following guidelines may vary from those that appear in UpToDate topic reviews. Readers who are looking for UpToDate topic reviews should use the UpToDate search box to find the relevant content.

International

●World Health Organization (WHO): Refugee and migrant health toolkit

●WHO: Global action plan on promoting the health of refugees and migrants, 2019-2030 (2024)

●WHO: World report on the health of refugees and migrants (2022)

●WHO for Europe (WHO/Europe): Technical guidance for prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases in refugees and migrants (2022)

●WHO: Global competency standards for health workers – Curriculum guide to support the operationalization of refugee and migrant health (2021)

●WHO: Global competency standards for health workers – Knowledge guide to support the operationalization of the refugee and migrant health (2021)

●WHO: Global competency standards for health workers – Refugee and migrant health (2021)

●WHO/Europe: Technical guidance on delivery of immunization services for refugees and migrants (2019)

Canada

●Canadian Paediatric Society (CPS): Caring for Kids New to Canada – A guide for health professionals working with immigrant and refugee children and youth

●CPS: Practice point on cross-cultural communication – Tools for working with families and children (2018, reaffirmed 2024)

●CPS: Position statement on access to appropriate interpretation is essential for the health of children (2023)

●Canadian Collaboration for Immigrant and Refugee Health (CCIRH): Evidence-based clinical guidelines for immigrants and refugees (2011)

United States

●Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Immigrant and refugee health – For health care providers

•Refugee health domestic guidance

•Refugee health overseas guidance

•Refugee Immunization Information Systems Exchange (RIISE) project

•Technical instructions for civil surgeons

•Technical instructions for panel physicians

●American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP): Red Book – Immigrants (2024)

●AAP: Red Book - Medical evaluation for infectious diseases for internationally adopted, refugee, and other immigrant children (2024)

●AAP: Red Book – Refugees (2024)

●AAP: Policy statement on detention of immigrant children (2017, reaffirmed 2022)

●AAP: Policy statement on providing care for children in immigrant families (2019)

Europe

●World Health Organization for Europe (WHO/Europe): Technical guidance for prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases in refugees and migrants (2022)

●European Academy of Paediatrics (EAP): Medical care for migrant children in Europe – A practical recommendation for first and follow-up appointments (2019)

●WHO/Europe: Technical guidance on delivery of immunization services for refugees and migrants (2019)

●European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC): Public health guidance on screening and vaccination for infectious diseases in newly arrived migrants within the EU/EEA (2018)

United Kingdom

●Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH): Guidance for paediatricians on refugee and unaccompanied asylum seeking children and young people (2018, updated 2023)

Australia–New Zealand

●Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP): Position statement on healthcare for people from refugee backgrounds and people seeking asylum (2024)

●Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI): The Australian Immunisation Handbook –Vaccination for migrants, refugees, and people seeking asylum in Australia (2023)