243 Occupational health inequities for migrant workers: from evidence to action

Abstract WKS 31: Occupational health inequities for migrant workers: from evidence to action, B309 (FCSH), September 5, 2025, 10:15 - 11:15 Rationales and Purpose Migrant workers often perform hazardous work under precarious conditions while sustaining essential industries. Sustainable improvements of migrant workers’ conditions are hampered, inter alia, by corporate interests and aspects of knowledge production and translation. Research can contribute to improving migrant workers’ conditions; e.g., through participatory approaches, intervention studies, and social impact strategies. However, these approaches remain underutilized, resulting in a poor understanding of the agency of the various stakeholders, including migrant workers, and of viable intervention options. Researchers’ lack of engagement with policymaking processes further limits their work’s impact. Methods/Process of Workshop This workshop offers various entry points for intervention-focused research on migrant worker health. Presentation 1 reviews the global evidence on healthcare interventions for low-wage migrant workers, including access-generating strategies (Eilin Rast, Bielefeld University). Presentation 2 examines how people living and working in precarious settings can be better protected during future pandemics, based on a COVID-19 After-Action Review in Germany (Navina Sarma/Katja Kajikhina, Robert Koch-Institute). Presentation 3 reflects on the social impact strategy of DignityFIRM, an interdisciplinary study of the conditions of migrant workers in farm-to-fork industries in EU and non-EU countries (Nora Gottlieb, Bielefeld University). An interactive discussion concludes the session. Projected Learning Outcomes Complementing a previous workshop on evidence gaps in migrant worker health research (WKS 28), this workshop offers participants insights into approaches and tools to move evidence from public health research into action for worker justice. This will enhance the participants’ understanding of challenges in promoting health equity for migrant workers and possible ways forward.