Human Trafficking is a Public Health Issue

Recognizing January as National Human Trafficking Prevention Month, this blog is the first in a series about the intersectionality of human trafficking with health, education, and financial stability. Click here and here for the other blogs in this series.

Human trafficking – the act of compelling someone to work, for little or no pay, through force, fraud, or coercion – is an incredibly complex issue that connects with many others. Systemic injustices like racism, homophobia, sexism, economic inequality, and more lead some people to face more risk of human trafficking than others. It is a multi-dimensional problem that disproportionately impacts marginalized communities around the world.

United Way envisions a world where communities ​deliver equitable solutions to achieve lasting change, giving everyone the chance to thrive — especially in education, economic mobility, and health. Each of these issues is affected by and affects human trafficking. They are prevention points *and* intervention tools in the fight against human trafficking.

This systemic injustice can’t be prevented unless everyone is getting adequate access to healthcare, education, and a decent job that supports a family. And survivors of human trafficking frequently need support to access healthcare, gain a proper education, and build financially stability. Recognizing and addressing these intersection points can help strengthen community resilience to human trafficking. We’re seeing in on-the-ground work across the world.

United Way believes we should use a public health approach to anti-human trafficking prevention and intervention activities. This can help communities address the root causes of this systemic issue and better support the long-term healing and success of survivors. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the following activities are key to employing a public health approach to combatting human trafficking:

• Removing barriers to health and healthcare access. Survivors frequently encounter barriers to healthcare services and medical attention before, during, and after their trafficking experience. Issues such as lack of identification documents or interpreters; feelings of shame, stigma, or fear; insufficient finances or health insurance coverage, and more frequently impair survivors’ access to health and healthcare. Monitoring the health and wellness of community members by taking special care to ensure historically underserviced people groups have access to affordable, quality healthcare, is a tool for both human trafficking prevention and intervention.
• Informing, educating, and empowering community members and healthcare workers about the issue of human trafficking and ensuring health industry employees understand the complexity and intersectionality of the issue. Healthcare providers must be educated about the nuances of this complex issue and should seek to understand survivors’ perspectives and feelings toward healthcare systems and services. Healthcare providers should be familiar with stories of trafficking to gain an understanding of how trauma and adverse experiences may shape an individual’s interactions with and view of health care services.
• Survivors of human trafficking often face adverse physical and mental healt