FOREWORD Today we are seeing the largest population movements and displacement since the end of the Second World War. An estimated 1 billion people are on the move with more people than ever migrating or being displaced – about one in seven people worldwide. Global frameworks exist to improve the health and well-be‑ ing of refugees and migrants, including WHO’s Global Ac‑ tion Plan, Promoting the Health of Refugees and Migrants, alongside the Global Compact on Refugees and the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration. Refugees and migrants contribute energy and ideas that drive economic and social development. However, the COVID‑19 pandemic has had a disproportionately hard im‑ pact on these populations. They are often exposed to the virus with limited tools to protect themselves, and public health measures do not always reach them. Refugees and migrants may live highly insecure lives on the fringes of soci‑ ety, often in fear and without access to essential health and other services. Women may face the threat of violence and lack access to sexual and reproductive health services and social and financial protection. All these vulnerabilities may be further exacerbated by public health and social measures such as stay-at-home orders and border closures. These international commitments provide blueprints for governments, international organizations and other stake‑ holders to ensure that refugees and migrants, as well as host communities, get the support they need to meet the health needs of everyone during the COVID‑19 emergency and beyond. The pandemic has compromised the response capacities of health systems and highlighted existing inequities in access and utilization. Additionally, fear of the virus is ex‑ acerbating already high levels of xenophobia, racism and stigmatization and has even given rise to attacks against refugees and migrants. COVID‑19 has entrenched restric‑ tions on international movement and the curtailment of rights of people on the move. To change this situation, it is vital that all countries include refugees and migrants in national health plans as part of their commitment to universal health coverage. Protecting the health of refugees and migrants is crucial in the con‑ text of the COVID‑19 pandemic. Yet beyond international agreements, there are many indi‑ vidual stories to be heard from refugees and migrants. We must learn from their varied and vivid experiences. This is the intention of this preliminary overview : to take stock of the real-life experiences of refugees and migrants, listen to their stories and understand first-hand the real challeng‑ es when associated with limited access to health care and with stigmatization and discrimination. WHO is committed to working with countries towards a shared mission to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable, including refugees and migrants. We shall continue this work alongside our many partners, in‑ cluding the International Organization for Migration, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Hu‑ man Rights and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and with many other international organizations and bodies to ensure that refugees and migrants are not left behind. Health for all means just that: health for all, including refu‑ gees and migrants. Everyone should enjoy access to quality health services without facing financial hardship. This right must be supported by national health policies and legal and financial frameworks that see health as an integrating force in society. If we exclude refugees and migrants, we will all bear the costs. That exclusion will undermine development and pro‑ mote exclusionary and sometimes racist politics and senti‑ ments. Throughout the COVID‑19 pandemic, refugees and migrants have been key contributors to the response and will have a significant role to play in the recovery. vi | Foreword Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus WHO Director-General