Think tanks Minerva and InES are hosting a conference entitled “Health Inequality: a Blind Spot” in Brussels on 27 March. The event will compare scientific findings with the experiences of field practitioners in order to assess the reality and extent of inequalities in the Belgian healthcare system. Possible courses of action for amending these inequalities will be examined, notably through the lens of health insurance.

Belgium ranks among the OECD countries with the best healthcare systems and yet mortality rates among socio-economically disadvantaged groups - including migrant groups - are twice as high as in the rest of the population. The causes of these inequalities are multiple and can be economic, territorial, or due to discrepancies in working conditions or the legal system.

While such inequalities are not limited to a specific social group, migrants are in an especially precarious situation due to their status. They are at risk of facing barriers when accessing healthcare services in their host countries due to many reasons such as socioeconomic background, education level, and linguistic barriers. Furthermore, policies related to immigration often have a significant impact on the accessibility of healthcare and social welfare for migrant populations. Without clear policies directed at the issue, inequalities risk getting worse. 

The event will see French/Dutch interpretation. The full conference programme will be published soon.