Healthcare Access for Migrants in Transit: A Governance Test for Universal Health Coverage

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.66636/gmj.v1.i2.a124

Keywords:

Migration health, migrants in transit, Universal Health Coverage, health systems, continuity of care, Georgia, South Caucasus, migrant health governance, healthcare access, public health

Abstract

The scoping review by Gopinadhan et al. draws attention to one of the least institutionally protected populations within contemporary migration systems: migrants in transit. The review identifies recurring barriers to healthcare access, including fragmented continuity of care, administrative exclusion, legal uncertainty, language barriers, and fear of immigration enforcement [1]. This commentary argues that transit migration should be understood not only as a humanitarian issue but also as a governance test for Universal Health Coverage (UHC). Migrants in transit expose a central contradiction of modern health systems: healthcare systems promise universality while remaining largely organized around stable territorial entitlement. The article discusses what the reviewed study contributes, what remains unresolved, and why these questions are increasingly relevant for Georgia and the South Caucasus.

Keywords  Migration health; migrants in transit; Universal Health Coverage; health systems; continuity of care; Georgia; South Caucasus.

References

1. Gopinadhan V, Li TW, Kovacic V, Tang C, Sitali N. Challenges to healthcare access for migrants in transit: a scoping review. J Migr Health. 2026;13:100395. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmh.2026.100395

2. World Health Organization. World Report on the Health of Refugees and Migrants. Geneva: WHO; 2022. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240054462

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4. Pkhakadze G, Tabagari N, Talakvadze T, Inaishvili S, Vashadze S, Janelidze T, et al. Health Entitlement Index for Refugees and Migrants: a comparative analysis across 41 countries. GMJ. 2026;1(2):a32. https://doi.org/10.66636/gmj.v1.i2.a32

5. Abubakar I, Aldridge RW, Devakumar D, Orcutt M, Burns R, Barreto ML, et al. The UCL–Lancet Commission on Migration and Health: the health of a world on the move. Lancet. 2018;392(10164):2606–2654. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(18)32114-7

6. Wickramage K, Vearey J, Zwi AB, Robinson C, Knipper M. Migration and health: a global public health research priority. BMC Public Health. 2018;18:987. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-018-5932-5

7. Legido-Quigley H, Pocock N, Tan ST, Pajin L, Suphanchaimat R, Wickramage K, et al. Healthcare is not universal if undocumented migrants are excluded. BMJ. 2019;366:l4160. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.l4160

8. Kluge HHP, Jakab Z, Bartovic J, D’Anna V, Severoni S. Refugee and migrant health in the COVID-19 response. Lancet. 2020;395(10232):1237–1239. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30791-1

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10. World Health Organization. Tracking Universal Health Coverage: 2023 Global Monitoring Report. Geneva: WHO; 2023. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240080379

11. International Organization for Migration. World Migration Report 2024. Geneva: IOM; 2024. https://worldmigrationreport.iom.int/wmr-2024

12. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Global Trends: Forced Displacement in 2023. Geneva: UNHCR; 2024. https://www.unhcr.org/global-trends-report-2023

Cover of the Georgian Medical Journal (GMJ), Volume 1, Issue 2 (2026), titled “Health Systems Performance and Quality of Care: Measurement, Improvement, and Outcomes,” with a blue world map background representing global health connectivity. Includes the themes “Quality, Safety, Results” and the publisher Public Health Institute of Georgia.

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Published

05/06/2026

How to Cite

Talakvadze, T., Inaishvili, S., & Kraveishvili, T. (2026). Healthcare Access for Migrants in Transit: A Governance Test for Universal Health Coverage. Georgian Medical Journal, 1(2), 1–6. https://doi.org/10.66636/gmj.v1.i2.a124

Issue

Vol. 1 No. 2 (2026): Health Systems Performance and Quality of Care

Section

Editorial & Policy Forum

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Copyright (c) 2026 Tamari Talakvadze, Sulkhan Inaishvili, Tamar Kraveishvili

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