Welcome back to Five on Friday! We are finishing another very long week in migrant health. Before you head into the weekend, we want to offer five pieces affecting migrant and immigrant health that you may have missed:

Get active! Amy forwarded on APHA’s action alert for individuals, with a deadline of December 4th. Organizations can sign on to a different letter here. Tell OSHA to Finalize a Strong Rule to Protect Workers from Extreme Heat

At this week’s COP29, the UN’s climate change conference, many agencies from across the globe including the World Health Organization are pushing for a centering of health when talking about the climate crisis, which MCN supports. Here’s one op-ed from Forbes, that Claire sent on, that notes, “The impact of climate change on vector-borne diseases like malaria and cholera is already evident. Yet it also has a less directly visible knock-on effect on diseases like TB. In climate-vulnerable countries around the world, mass displacement from extreme weather is leading to overcrowding and poor living conditions that raise the risk of TB transmission.” Why Health Should Be At The Heart Of The Climate Agenda At COP29

While some accounts say that about 7% of the US population has long COVID, this new approach from Mass General Brigham researchers estimated that 22.8% of the population actually may have it. Noel offered up this Boston Herald article on the study. Long COVID Study Could Be a ‘Game Changer’: AI Can Identify Hidden Cases from Health Records

Patient populations at health centers are changing, as well as the policies and politics surrounding immigration. Migrant Clinicians Network’s webinar on December 3rd will assist health center staff to better understand changing demographics in their communities. In English, with simultaneous interpretation into Spanish. Working with Changing Patient Demographics with Influx of New Immigrants and Refugees

Weekly Win: Amy offered up OSHA’s latest analysis showing fewer worker deaths in 2023! Many worker deaths are among migrant and immigrant workers in dangerous industries like farmwork – and many of the deaths are preventable with culturally and linguistically appropriate trainings and regulations. While the number of deaths is still far too high, we take this as a win to hear that workplaces are protecting their workers. Department of Labor Encouraged by Decline in Worker Death Investigations

The environmental advocacy organization El Puente Puerto Rico led the 6th Puerto Rico Walk against Climate Change, held last Saturday in San Juan, Puerto Rico. During this well-attended activity, hundreds of people demonstrated the community's commitment and solidarity in the fight for climate justice. The event was supported by various organizations, volunteers, artists, families, and young people, whose participation made the day a true exaltation of the community’s power and strength.

MCN shared various tools to educate, mitigate and adapt communities to climate change. These are part of the climate change resource inventory of MCN's Project Strengthening Capacities in Community Health Centers to address the impact of climate change on agricultural workers in the Caribbean Region.

Attendees also had the opportunity to use their creativity to write environmentally focused Bombas, songs in the Afro-Puerto Rican musical tradition with roots in resistance. In an atmosphere of joy and awareness, the rhymes were sung.

Marysel Pagán, DrPH, MCN’s Director of Environmental and Occupational Health/Senior Program Manager of Caribbean Region presented to the audience the different resources related to climate change, emergency management and community mobilization and adaptation that MCN has developed and adapted for our Caribbean Region.

Have a safe and healthy weekend!