Mission
Support the health of people experiencing migration through partnerships, collaboration, and community-driven solutions.
Vision
To end health disparities for people experiencing migration around the world.
Who we are
Our mission is to support the health of people experiencing migration through partnerships, collaboration, and community-driven solutions.
We are uniquely positioned to respond to this moment of crisis because we were born out of an emergency. MHI evolved from the National Resource Center for Refugees, Immigrants, and Migrants (NRC-RIM), which was housed at the Center for Global Health and Social Responsibility at the University of Minnesota and originally funded by the CDC in 2020 as part of the nation’s COVID-19 response. Very quickly, we grew from an innovative idea to an organization nationally known for excellence in public health emergency preparedness and response, and in fostering partnerships that make a real difference in communities.
What we do
We promote health equity among refugee and immigrant communities globally using best practices in health education, community engagement, and human-centered design.
MHI specializes in taking the innovative ideas proposed by communities and turning them into capacity building resources for organizations around the world to use. This has equipped migrant serving organizations with resources on topics like infectious diseases, preventative care, mental health, and nutrition. Our expertise extends to issues of language justice; we offer resources in 40+ languages that have been culturally validated for relevance.
Who we serve
Rather than working directly in communities, we focus on influencing the systems that serve them. This includes health authorities, community-based organizations, governmental agencies, and NGOs.
Our resources have been used by international organizations like the United Nations and UNHCR, refugee resettlement agencies like the International Rescue Committee, and local community-based organizations like Refugee Women’s Network in Georgia.
How we help
MHI’s services benefit anyone working in the broader migration health ecosystem because it allows them to make limited resources stretch further. MHI’s services are provided at no cost to organizations. In fact, we often compensate organizations for their partnership.
Research
MHI’s community engagement process reduces the need for organizations to conduct independent research.
Translations
In centralizing activities like translated health education, MHI saves individual organizations time and money.
Toolkits
Toolkits and templates allow organizations to replicate successful programs more efficiently.
Our home
The Migration Health Initiative is a program of The Task Force for Global Health. The Task Force, founded 40 years ago to advance health equity, works with partners in more than 150 countries to eliminate diseases, ensure access to vaccines and essential medicines, and strengthen health systems to protect populations.
MHI joined The Task Force in October 2024. This partnership provides a broader platform and global expertise, expanding MHI’s reach and impact to address emerging health challenges in refugee, immigrant, and migrant communities more effectively and sustainably. The Task Force is a non-state actor with the World Health Organization.