The Dynamics of Migration, Health and Livelihoods:

INDEPTH Network Perspectives

INDEPTH Migration and Urbanisation Working Group

Prepared for the 9th INDEPTH AGM

27 October 2009

Background

Internal migration is a force transforming societies in developing countries

Communities, networks, households, individuals change

Livelihoods and health impacts occur - evidence mixed

Data is minimal for examining more than snapshots of the dynamics

INDEPTH Network has done a multi-country study

Rural sub-districts and urban slums in low and middle income countries

Longitudinal data, comparative analysis

"The publication, by the INDEPTH Migration and Urbanization Working Group, contains theoretical and methodological migration research based on a decade of demographic surveillance.  What makes this volume especially a must read is the application of longitudinal methods at a variety of sites among countries. “

Aphichat Charatithirong, Mahidol University, Thailand

“The multi-site network approach adopted in the book does not only provide a demographic understanding of migration dynamics, but presents a new perspective to comparative analysis of the impact of migration on human health and livelihood over time. I believe this book is a must read, for all scholars of population and migration studies.”

Dr Godwin Ode Ikwuyatum, University of Ibadan, Nigeria

'Building on the richness of the INDEPTH surveillance data network, this volume takes a deep dive into the causes and consequences of geographic movement, identifying systematic regularities, and important differences, across the six research sites. This unique compendium of case studies offers valuable lessons for scholars of migration, students of program evaluation, and field workers.  It is a tour de force in a rapidly growing field.‘

Marta Tienda, Princeton University, USA

INDEPTH Migration and Urbanisation Working Group

(MUWG)

Editors : Mark Collinson, Kubaje Adazu, Michael White, Sally Findley

Authors: Kubaje Adazu, Nurul Alam, Pedro Alonso, John Aponte, Donatien Beguy, Philippe Bocquier, Nguyen T. K. Chuc, Samuel J. Clark, Mark A. Collinson, Daniel Feiken, Sally E. Findley, Annette A.M. Gerritsen, Philip Guest, Kathleen Kahn, Rose Kiriinya, Adama Konseiga, Kayla Laserson, Leonildo Matsinhe, Cheikh Mbacké, Kanyiva Muindi, Ariel Nhacolo, Delino Nhalungo, David Obor, Peter Ofware, Ben Onyango, Ho D. Phuc, Sureeporn Punpuing, Charfudin Sacoor, Laurence Slutsker, Peter K. Streatfield, Nguyen X. Thanh, Stephen M. Tollman, John Vulule, Michael J. White, Yazoumé Yé and Eliya Zulu

Dr. Kubaje Adazu(1961 - 2009)

He will be remembered and honoured for his contribution to scientific knowledge and skills development in social demography; and his passion for migration studies.

Overview chapters:1. Introduction

Opportunities and challenges What we can hope to gain from the

surveillance approach to tracking migration Introduces the themes and site contributions

2. Methodology Methods used for migration surveillance in

HDSS sites Comparative table of migration definitions used in the

different sites

3. Community context Comparison of contexts The importance of place

Comparative age-sex profiles We compare age-sex migration profiles from

the seven participating sites

Theme 1: Migration and Livelihoods (3 sites)

Thailand - Kanchanaburi site

Households with out-migrants face constraints in the agriculture activities immediately after the out-migration of a household member.

But, households soon adjust to these constraints, drawing on existing household resources to substitute for the labour lost through out-migration

South Africa – Agincourt site In rural South Africa short-term

female migrants provide vital support to their families of origin

Female migrants are the most vital contributors to the upkeep of the poorest households

Bangladesh – Matlab site

In Matlab households with international male migrants have better educational outcomes for their children remaining at home compared to households without migrants.

Theme 2: Migration and Health (4 sites)

Kenya – Nairobi Urban site Children who are born in Nairobi’s

urban slums to non-migrant mothers have significantly higher survival chances than those born to in-migrant mothers, regardless of their origin

Kenya – Kisumu site Migrant children moving from

Kenyan urban areas to rural Nyanza enjoy a clear survival advantage compared to both non-migrant and migrant children from other rural areas

Urban vs rural – child survival The fact that these findings come

from an urban and rural site in the same country epitomizes the complexity of the relationship between migration and child survival

This relationship depends on a host of factors including exposure to new threats, migrant selectivity and differential health endowments between migrants and non-migrants

Vietnam – Filabavi site The data point to the importance of

maternal care for these children by revealing a higher incidence of illness among left-behind children compared to children with non-migrant mothers

No such negative impact is seen by the out-migration of the children’s fathers, underscoring the importance of the mother’s role in providing health care to young children

Mozambique – Manhiça site In the past, returning migrants were

positively selected for health and economic position

From 1999, there is a reversal of the survival advantage of return migrants

Migrants returning home to die

Policy implications 1 Given the intensity of population

movements it is important that policy makers and program implementers understand and take into account migration in their efforts

Implementation of activities in both the origin and destination communities

Policy implications 2 Better off households are more likely

to reap the benefits of migration and this can contribute to increasing inequalities

This selectivity could be incorporated into poverty-reduction programs by enhancing outreach to those households with no or few migrants

 There might be access issues for in-migrants, particularly those who are not fully integrated in local households

Conclusion The findings contrast the beneficial

impacts of migration on household livelihoods with potential health burdens

The impacts of migration can go either way, they can be positive or negative for sending and/or receiving communities depending on the issues at hand and the type of migration under consideration

MUWG II

New longitudinal studies using existing data – which can be themed and published together

A comparable multi-site study – a migration module or survey in each participating HDSS

Supporting and marketing existing single-site HDSS studies

Workshop: 17h00 today – Venue: FF2