NZRAP delivered a collective presentation titled “Meaningful Refugee Participation in Health: Advancing Equity Through Collective Leadership.” This paper highlighted critical gaps in health policy design, implementation, and evaluation, many of which stem from the absence of meaningful refugee participation in decision-making.
The NZRAP presenters and contributors – Jane Smith, Abrarullah Saleh, Beth Ketema, Sara Ahmad and former NZRAP member Ayan Said, shared perspectives from their research and lived expertise:
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Mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS): school-based trauma-informed approaches for refugee-background children
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Youth identity and wellbeing: participatory research centring refugee youth voice
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Oral health equity: adapting and validating assessment tools in Amharic to ensure linguistic and cultural accessibility
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Reproductive health and governance: co-designing services with displaced Somali women, and affirming refugee participation as a fundamental right in health governance
Together, these contributions demonstrated how Meaningful Refugee Participation (MRP) strengthens both research and practice, shifting refugee involvement from symbolic consultation to systemic inclusion.
In the final plenary session, NZRAP member Sara Ahmad joined the panel “Transforming the Landscape: What’s Next for Migrant and Refugee Health and Wellbeing?” Sara linked the discussion to the wider Meaningful Refugee Participation (MRP) agenda, emphasising the crucial role of refugee youth in shaping health and wellbeing futures.
NZRAP extends sincere thanks to AUT and the Migrant and Refugee Health Research Centre for hosting an impactful and timely symposium. We look forward to ongoing collaboration with partners across the sector to advance equitable health futures for refugee and migrant communities in Aotearoa.
Download the full presentation here.