The Minister of Health, Mónica García, recently presented the report titled “Health status and use of the healthcare system by the migrant population in Spain,” which examines the health situation of residents born outside of Spain.
Furthermore, the study confirms the well-known phenomenon of the “healthy immigrant effect,” which describes how migrants tend to have better health indicators upon arriving in their new home compared to the native population.
The report compares the health status of those born in Spain with those coming from five major regions of the world: Europe, Africa, Latin America, the Eastern Mediterranean, and other areas. The findings are clear: the native population shows a higher prevalence in 16 of the 21 analyzed pathologies, highlighting disorders such as anxiety and asthma, where rates exceed those recorded in migrants by more than 20 points.
Despite the initial advantage that migrants present in terms of health, the report warns that this level tends to deteriorate over time, due to factors such as inequality in access to basic resources and precarious working conditions. Additionally, administrative and linguistic barriers hinder their access to preventive health services, which can worsen their health conditions. The research concludes that, to ensure the sustainability of the healthcare system, it is crucial to provide universal and equitable medical care to all residents.