Health Challenges or Risks, and Services for Child Migrants in India

Until recently, most of the literature on migration focused on adults, and rarely have migrant children’s perspectives been heard. The number of children migrating alone has increased. Child migrants (below the age of 18) accounted for 12% of the total migrant population. Given their unique physiology, children under 18, particularly those who are very young, are more susceptible to health risks. Despite the significant health risks, health services are generally unavailable or inaccessible to child migrants, and private health services are often too costly, which places health services beyond their reach. This article examines the health risks of child migrants globally, with a special focus on child migrants in India, and identifies the barriers to them accessing health services. However, there is a lack of information on migrants in general, leading to a gap in the data on the health issues of child migrants. To understand this issue, I have reviewed a range of articles and documents, which have helped to identify these gaps in the literature. In addition, the research found that in India, health services are provided based on identity documents linked to place of origin, excluding migrant children from these essential services. Accordingly, it is recommended that public health services are delinked from place of origin requirements and that more data is collected on migrant child and their health issues.