Promoting the Health of Left-Behind Children of Asian Labour Migrants: Evidence for Policy and Action

Despite the political discourse on migration becoming an important issue in the global development agenda, the mental and physical health implications for left-behind children of migrant workers have received less attention. And the current evidence base on the health impacts of labour migration, both for migrants and their families, remains weak. The health impact on families left behind is especially salient for the majority of labour-sending nations, which are mostly lowand middle-income countries that lack adequate resources to respond to broad public health outcomes linked to increased migration and its cascading reverse impact. Changing demographics and shifting epidemiological profiles of disease can compound changes brought on by increased international migration in labour-sending countries. International labour migration, despite its remittance-related and other benefits, can also at times create a negative influence on health, break down family and social cohesion and increase the burden on health systems.