Yesterday, speakers and participants joined us in person and online for the first day of our hybrid 2026 Spring School on Researching Migration and Health in Africa. Together, we explored a question that will guide us throughout the week: Health is political, migration is political- where to next?
Associate Professor Jo Vearey and Dr Langelihle Mlotshwa opened the day by reminding us that migration is a central determinant of health, and that understanding the relationship between mobility and health requires us to look beyond borders and individual experiences.

Dr Tlaleng Mofokeng challenged us to consider the right to health through dignity, equality and the political conditions that shape access to care. Dr Nthabiseng Makgana brought a health-system perspective, highlighting why evidence, internal mobility, referral pathways and resource allocation matter for planning responsive services.

Dr Miriam Orcutt connected global research priorities to the challenge of translating evidence into policy and practice. Ibrahima Amadou Dia brought an African Union perspective on migration and health, while Dr Tasanya Chinsamy shared practical lessons from cross-border collaboration, including the importance of referral pathways and continuity of care.

In the afternoon, Professor Anuj Kapilashrami invited participants to reflect on their familiarity with intersectionality and whether they had applied it in their work. Her session, facilitated by Dr Sostina Matina, explored how interconnected forms of inequality and power shape people’s experiences of migration and health.

A key contribution of the day was bringing these perspectives together, from human rights and health-system planning to research, continental policy and cross-border practice. Our conversations reinforced that producing evidence is only one step; inclusive services also require political commitment, collaboration and attention to the lived realities of people on the move.

Thank you to our speakers, facilitators and participants, both in person and online, for such a rich first day. We look forward to building on these conversations throughout the week.