Category: King Baudouin Foundation

International Migrants Day – 18 December

Health without borders: equal access to care as a human right

International Migrants Day is observed every year on 18 December, marking the date in 1990 when the United Nations General Assembly adopted the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families. The day is not only about population movement, but about fundamental rights, dignity, and—above all—equitable access to health care for all, regardless of origin or legal status.

Global Statistics

Globally, more than 281 million people currently live outside their country of birth, representing approximately 3.6% of the world’s population (International Organization for Migration – World Migration Report).

Migrants and refugees consistently face health inequalities driven by barriers such as language, limited health literacy, insecure housing and employment, and fear of exclusion from health systems. According to the World Health Organization, social determinants of health play a decisive role in access to prevention, early diagnosis and treatment, resulting in poorer health outcomes for migrant populations.

These inequalities are further compounded among particularly vulnerable groups, including children and young people, women, and individuals without stable legal status. In cases of serious or chronic illness—such as cancer—delayed diagnosis, interruptions in treatment and lack of psychosocial support can have a profound impact on disease outcomes and quality of life.

Situation in Greece

Within the Greek context, the country continues to serve as both a host and transit point for migrants and refugees. According to data from Eurostat and the Hellenic Statistical Authority, a significant proportion of the population residing in Greece consists of third-country nationals, while access to comprehensive health services remains uneven, particularly for young people and individuals with increased care needs. Despite existing legal provisions, practical barriers persist in prevention, continuity of care and psychosocial support.

In oncology, these challenges become even more pronounced. Cancer does not discriminate, yet access to care is often shaped by social and economic factors. The need for culturally sensitive, accessible and continuous health services is critical to ensure that no person is left unsupported when facing a cancer diagnosis.

In this context, Kapa3 has long worked to highlight social inequalities in health and to promote holistic cancer care for all people, regardless of background. In 2024, a targeted support initiative for refugees and migrants living with cancer was implemented through the programme “Cancer May Control your Body for a While, But Not Your Soul”, with the support of the King Baudouin Foundation.

The action focused on the regions of Macedonia and Thrace, addressing refugees and migrants in the area, with particular emphasis on the 15–24 age group, aiming to provide immediate primary care assistance and continuous support throughout the course of their treatment.

International Migrants Day is a reminder that health is a human right, not a privilege. Ensuring equitable access to care—especially for those most at risk—is a shared responsibility of institutions, health professionals and society as a whole.

A fair and healthy society is one that leaves no one behind.

Sources:

Text/Adaptation: Ifiyenia Anastasiou for Kapa3

CANCER MAY CONTROL YOUR BODY FOR A WHILE, BUT ΝΟΤ YOUR SOUL…

We dreamed it, we organized it and we finally accomplished it!

Kapa3, always thinking and implementing actions whose main priority and beneficiaries are the patients with cancer, overcoming barriers, social, economic, and social and cultural characteristics! Cancer has no gender, no country, no color, no religion!!!

The team of Kapa3 could not ignore the challenges and needs of people who are forced to leave their countries of origin and, having the problems of their disease out of their priorities, put themselves in danger, crossing the borders of our country, hoping for a better and safer future.

Thus, studying the needs of these people, the group of professionals of KAPA3, being active and present in the wider region of Macedonia and Thrace, submitted a proposal for the implementation of actions in these areas, targeting the refugees and migrants of the region.

With great pleasure, we received the response of the King Baudouin Foundation, which recognized in this proposal our vision and approved funding to support and develop the Cancer Patient Guidance Centre-Kapa3, to provide immediate assistance to refugees and migrants crossing the borders of our country.

Together we can achieve the impossible! Looking cancer in the eye and fighting every day together, is a small but important battle for life, against cancer!

More specifically: The development of the existing network, the addition of mental health professionals, and the development of actions and activities in new places, with new partners, will allow us to help much more in the process of better and more complete treatment of the incidents and difficulties we face.

With funding from the King Baudouin Foundation, over the next 6 months, we will strengthen our network of psychologists, sociologists, and social workers, with a focus on the 15-24 age group, to continue providing primary care and support throughout their treatment. Part of the funding will be used to translate the Kapa3 online portal into at least two languages, in addition to English, with Ukrainian being the first, so that our citizen’s accessibility to any portal of the Public Health System is immediate and seamless.

The Organization has a website and an app where it provides general support and information as well as personalized support to each beneficiary. The staffing of the network with permanent personnel will become the basis for the successful targeting, which is, No One Feels Alone! The activation of psychological support for patients, the categorization of patients by age and the activation of actions to solve additional problems related to each of these age groups are some of the actions that we are ready to take to support these vulnerable groups!

We are well aware that the Greek health system and the support of medical care for cancer patients provided mainly in the country’s public hospitals, given high care costs and economic conditions, are not chosen by a significant number of patients, mainly immigrants, and refugees. The fact that Kapa3 operates in the structures and departments of hospitals that exclusively support cancer patients allows us to be able to record cases and extract qualitative and quantitative data and results to improve and create new actions in this direction.

Our vision has inspired and found support beyond borders! Cancer can control the body of patients for a while, but the soul, which strengthens the power in the battle with cancer, cannot be controlled!!!

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