Usaping Pangkalusugan ng mga OFWs sa Panahon ng COVID-19 (October 2020 - December 2021)

The migrant sector has emerged as one of the hardest hit sectors, especially in terms of economic and health repercussions. The pandemic has also further exacerbated incidents of violence and atrocities committed against OFWs by erring employers and recruiters - especially in the more vulnerable job sectors (e.g. increasingly overworked, forced confinement in employer’s home, cramped accommodations etc.). The following were the objectives of the project: - Capture a better sense of how migrants value or prioritize their health and well being especially during the pandemic, the study aims to divulge and better understand the health awareness and health-seeking behaviours of migrant workers and their families as well as their knowledge and appreciation of their right to health and the government’s programs and services (e.g. primary health care, universal health care, PhilHealth, etc.) relevant to their health needs; - Contextualize the needs of migrant workers and their families in the light of COVID-19 pandemic and other health, particularly public health, issues and highlight what migrants/families are already doing/can do to inspire/further inspire them to take part in community anti-COVID-19 initiatives, including case referral and what they can do to stop stigmatization of and discrimination against migrants being perceived as vectors of COVID-19 virus and other epidemics; - Evaluate the efficacy of an online awareness raising under the project, which aims to capacitate migrants and their families to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic; ultimately providing further recommendations as to how relevant stakeholders can better promote and protect the right to health of migrants and families during and after the pandemic.