459; Examining migrant inclusion in Ecuador’s health and education systems through a human rights lens: reflections from the field

Abstract

PTH 5: Exclusion and Discrimination, B307 (FCSH), September 4, 2025, 15:15 - 16:09

Over the past five years, our multidisciplinary research team has been conducting migrant health studies in Ecuador. To evaluate the response of the Ecuadorian health system to distress migrants, we have examined macro-structural factors, characteristics of the health system, and characteristics of the population. Our studies have largely used a qualitative approach from a right-to-health perspective, complemented by analyses of datasets compiled by the Ecuadorian government. The datasets have had limitations at the origin: the country relies on manual input of data by busy health workers who do not work with systematic patient records that can be accessed nationally, especially when there is limited access to the internet due to electricity shortages or an intermittent connection. Our focus has been on Venezuelan distress migrants, i.e., refugees, survival, and forced migrants. As part of our project, we interviewed more than 60 key informants (government officials, health providers, officials at international NGOs and intergovernmental agencies, and leaders of migrant organizations). We also analyzed 25 publicly available documents, including policy and legal cases. For this presentation, we reflect on our approach to understanding the challenges we faced (e.g., budget limitations and project leadership based on a different continent) and the creative programmatic decisions we made to carry out project goals toward disseminating research relevant to migrant populations in Ecuador and the Andean region. The funds covered fieldwork expenses and enabled us to connect with colleagues, but the dedication to writing reports and scientific articles was largely our own responsibility (including paying for open access). Lastly, the focus on the Venezuelan population made us miss the opportunity to examine issues related to other?distress migrants. In spite of these challenges, our research?project has contributed to informing relevant policy and academic discussions regarding migrants’ right to health in our region