Citation

Geller P, Murphy LT, Stoklosa H, Bartovic J, Halldorsson H, Wolf M, Aguirre IY. BMJ 2023; 382: p1745.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2023, BMJ Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1136/bmj.p1745

PMID

37507130

Abstract

Human trafficking is a lucrative crime and a serious human rights violation. Conflicts increase the number of people exploited in trafficking within and outside crises areas. The war in Ukraine is likely to have considerably heightened the risk of trafficking for thousands of vulnerable people, according to the latest global report on trafficking in persons published by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in January 2023.1

Against this backdrop, a scoping review from the WHO Regional Office for Europe2 calls for substantial investment to increase health systems' capacities and help sensitise health workers to trafficking. Health systems and health workers are in many ways uniquely situated to identify, treat, and protect trafficked persons and those at risk of being trafficked.

Front line health workers are often the only public sector employees to meet trafficked persons during their ordeal. Data on how many trafficked persons remain unidentified when seeking health services is lacking for the WHO European Region, but a study from the US found that it is more than half.

A safe space

The primary goals of identifying trafficked persons are to provide quality care, empowerment, and a safe space--not disclosure. Survivors cite health workers' lack of knowledge as a barrier to achieving these aims, as well as the shame that trafficked individuals often feel and their distrust in health systems...

Language: en