Intercultural mediators are employed to resolve linguistic and cultural barriers in a variety of health-care contexts. This report examines the main roles performed by intercultural mediators in health care across the WHO European Region and analyses evidence on their effectiveness in improving accessibility and quality of care for refugees and migrants, and the factors that enable them to have a positive impact. The beneficial impact of intercultural mediators is hindered by a lack of professionalization, insufficient training and the non-systematic and inconsistent implementation of intercultural mediation programmes. Developing training programmes and accreditation systems, further research into the effectiveness of intercultural mediators in health care, and the development of strategies that guarantee access to intercultural mediators in health care wherever and whenever needed will enormously improve the quality of health care for refugees and migrants.

Offering unique coverage of an emerging, interdisciplinary area, this comprehensive handbook examines the theoretical underpinnings and emergent conceptions of intercultural mediation in related fields of study. Authored by global experts in fields from intercultural communication and conflict resolution to translation studies, literature, political science, and foreign language teaching, chapters trace the history, development, and present state of approaches to intercultural mediation. The sections in this volume show how the concept of intercultural mediation has been constructed among different fields and shaped by its specific applications in an open cycle of influence. The book parses different philosophical conceptions as well as pragmatic approaches, providing ample grounding in the key perspectives on this growing field of discourse. The Routledge Handbook of Intercultural Mediation is a valuable reference for graduate and postgraduate students studying mediation, conflict resolution, intercultural communication, translation, and psychology, as well as for practitioners and researchers in those fields and beyond.

Worldwide, more people are on the move now than ever before, yet many refugees and migrants face poorer health outcomes than the host populations. Addressing their health needs is, therefore, a global health priority and integral to the principle of the right to health for all. The key is to strengthen and maintain health systems by ensuring that they are refugee- and migrant-sensitive and inclusive. Health outcomes are influenced by a whole host of determinants. However, refugees and migrants face additional determinants such as precarious legal status; discrimination; social, cultural, linguistic, administrative and financial barriers; lack of information about health entitlements; low health literacy; and fear of detention and deportation. This groundbreaking publication outlines current and future opportunities and challenges and provides several strategies to improve the health and well-being of refugees and migrants. It is an advocacy tool for national and international policy-makers involved in health and migration. Evidence on the health of refugees and migrants remains fragmented – comparable data across countries and over time are urgently needed to track progress towards the health-related United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. With only 8 years until the 2030 target date to transform our world, the time to act is now.