Unseen: Addressing Return Migrants Health in Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

The blog Unseen: Addressing return migrants health in sub-Saharan Africa highlights the often overlooked health challenges faced by return migrants, who encounter significant physical, mental, and social health risks during migration journeys and upon return to their home countries. Drawing on a preliminary assessment by the African Population and Health Research Center, the article outlines how infectious and non-communicable diseases, malnutrition, violence, social isolation, and stigma undermine the wellbeing of return migrants. It points out that current reintegration policies in sub-Saharan Africa tend to emphasize economic and social dimensions, neglecting critical health needs and access to services. The piece calls for participatory research and multi-level interventions to generate evidence that can inform comprehensive health-focused reintegration policies and strengthen healthcare systems to better meet the unique needs of return migrants in the region.