The impact of migrations on the health services for rare diseases in Europe: the example of haemoglobin disorders

Abstract

Migration from different parts of the world to several European countries leads to the introduction of haemoglobinopathy genes into the population, which creates several demanding needs for prevention and treatment services for Hb disorders. In this paper we examined the degree to which European health services have responded to such challenges and in particular to health services necessary to address the needs of patients with thalassaemia and sickle cell disease (SCD). Information on available services was obtained from international organizations, collaborated European project, and the Thalassaemia International Federation (TIF) Databases, which include information from published surveys, registries, field trips, and delegation visits to countries and regions by expert advisors, local associations, and other collaborators' reports. Results show that countries with traditional strong prevention and treatment programs are well prepared to face the above challenges, while others are urgently needed to address these problems in a systematic way. The Thalassaemia International Federation (TIF) is committed to monitor the progress, raise awareness, and support the promotion of more immigrant-oriented health policies to ensure their integration in society and their access to appropriate, adequate, and timely health services.

Figure 1

Relative proportion of carriers of Hb disorders among immigrant populations in selected European Countries. The denominator used included the total number of carriers of Hb disorders in each country.

Figure 2

Increase in the number of immigrants carrying Hb disorders in Belgium between 2001 and 2011 according to the geographic region of origin.

Figure 3

Increase in the number of immigrants carrying Hb disorders in Spain between 2001 and 2011 according to the geographic region of origin.