295 Health without borders: rethinking cross-border health systems for migrants and displaced communities

Abstract WKS 24: Health Without Borders: Rethinking Cross-Border Health Systems for Migrants and Displaced Communities, B203 (FCSH), September 4, 2025, 16:00 - 17:00 Background and objectives State-centric health systems inherently fail vulnerable populations such as displaced people living in or across border regions, or those trapped between power borders. These systems, designed around national sovereignty and territorial governance, often neglect the transnational realities of migration, conflict, and displacement. As a result, millions of displaced populations in borderlands from Myanmar to Syria and the Mexico-Guatemala corridor remain caught in limbo, navigating complex humanitarian and political landscapes with limited access to essential health services. This roundtable will critically examine the conceptualization and practicality of cross-border health systems as an alternative to top-down, state-centric models. Workshop Plan The session will feature short presentations or reflections (5-7 minutes per speaker) from scholars working on cross-border health systems in Myanmar, Syria, Lebanon and the Mexico-Guatemala corridor, highlighting key challenges and innovations. A moderated discussion (20 minutes) will follow focusing on governance beyond state borders, decolonizing health system design, and the role of non-state actors in delivering care. Using a participatory approach, the session will then engage the audience through live polling throughout the session and reflections to capture diverse perspectives from the audience (30 minutes). The roundtable will conclude with a synthesis of key takeaways, offering policy recommendations and research priorities, aiming to advance research and practice towards health systems that prioritize people over borders. Main Messages A migrant-centred health system challenges traditional state-centric healthcare models, advocating for a paradigm shift towards inclusive, resilient, and cross-border approaches. The roundtable will identify challenges and opportunities to rethink and redesign health systems that are centred around the needs displaced populations in politically contested regions.