INNOVETH: Innovative Health Intervention for Ethiopian Migrant Domestic Workers in the Middle East (360G-Wellcome-338571_Z_25_Z)

Every year, more than 350,000 Ethiopian women migrate to the Middle East legally, and many others illegally, seeking domestic work. Economic crisis, rising unemployment, and internal conflict contribute to this massive migration. The bilateral agreement between the Ethiopian government and each destination country requires recruitment agencies to undertake rigorous pre- migration medical check-up for migrant domestic workers (MDWs). Nevertheless, MDWs in the Middle East are subject to overwork; mental, sexual and reproductive health challenges; and limited healthcare access. Studies on MDWs are mostly exploratory or cross-sectional; longitudinal and intervention studies are lacking. We propose to provide healthcare support to these vulnerable women by leveraging social networks, social media, and innovative technology. In Phase I, we explored key health challenges of MDWs through a scoping review, stakeholder consultation, and analysis of pre-migration data. We hypothesized that, by utilizing epidemiological and data science intelligence methods, we could stratify MDWs based on their level of risk and provide tailored intervention. We developed an intervention package, including training, peer-support and self-help groups, and mobile applications. In Phase II, we propose to i) develop, refine and validate a risk stratification tool, ii) refine and pilot the intervention and iii) implement and evaluate its impact and cost-effectiveness.