The Impact of Covid 19 and community responses

The Institute of Tropical Medicine and the University of Antwerp (Centre for Migration and Intercultural Studies, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences and the Communication Sciences) are organizing the second in a series of annual seminars on migration and health, this time focusing on the impact of Covid-19.

International research reveals that the global COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated health inequalities and disproportionately affects migrant communities. Due to existing socioeconomic vulnerabilities, such as precarious living circumstances or high-risk professions, migrants are more likely to be socially and economically impacted by the epidemic than others. Evidence is emerging that the needs of migrants and also ethnic minorities have not been adequately met by mainstream public health initiatives, leaving bottom-up local, community and societal responses to fill this gap.

This seminar will explore this topic at both a national and international level. Insights will be offered on (inter)national research projects, as well as on existing community responses in Belgium. To end the seminar, the multidisciplinary audience will be engaged in interactive discussions through question & answer sessions.

When? 29th of April 2021, from 2 PM to 4.30 PM.

Where? The seminar will be hosted by CeMIS, online

For whom? (Clinical) practitioners, health and social workers, policy makers and academics interested in the subject.

Program: 

• 2PM - 2.10 PM: Welcoming words and introduction 
• 2.10 PM - 2.25 PM: Research findings 
  • Migrant communities as vulnerable groups in the COVID-19 pandemic: a European perspective (COVINFORM-project), Jil Molenaar & Lore Van Praag, CeMIS, University of Antwerp 
  • The psychosocial impact of COVID-19 on migrants and refugees across the globe (ApartTogether Study), An Verelst, CESSMIR, Ghent University 
  • The impact of COVID-19 on ethnic minority groups in Antwerp: a qualitative research, Stef Dielen & Christiana Nöstlinger, ITM 
• 2.55 PM - 3.10 PM: Q&A 
• 3.10 - 3.25 PM: Coffee break 
• 3.25 - 4.05 PM: Presentations of community responses to tackle the epidemic 
  • Zipster, a social prescribing tool, Stijn Coolbrandt 
  • Sensi-ambassadors, Maaike Van den Broeck / Fadoua Achetib 
  • Video project, Foyer, Johan Leman 
  • Doctors without borders, Emmanuelle Bricq 
• 4.05 - 4.30 PM: Q&A