Let's talk about global health. It's the buzz word these days. Students want to have a global health experience, a greater number of researchers conduct global health re search, and educators are teaching global health principles to their students. So what is global health? And how should we be thinking about it? Global Health as defined by Koplan¹ is "an area for study, research, and practice that places a priority on improving health and achieving equity in health for all people worldwide". Global health is transdisciplinary and collaborative, emphasizes issues that cross national boundaries, focuses on determinants of health and blends individual-focused care with population health. Global health faces many challenges and solutions will re quire transnational collaborations and partnerships, and the work of multiple dis ciplines. The United Nations website² discusses eighteen global health challenges that we will be facing in the next few decades. An overarching challenge for health care workers specifically is migration; whether than be migration from climate changes, natural disasters, or violence/conflict. In order to address health outcomes from individuals, families, and populations, health care workers will need to address the larger issue of migration in order to provide better care. Specifically, the United Nations² defines refugees as individuals protected by international law who are often forced outside of their native country secondary to persecution. In contrast, migrants are considered to be individuals and/or families who voluntarily leave a country or location; regardless of leaving home in search for a better life. Nonetheless, the experience of movement to a new country, community or culture has health care implications for both the country/community of origin and the new place for leaving. Migration, as stated by Carlos Van der Laat³, is a determinant of health on its own, and currently a main issue in global health.

Current data support that the largest number of people in history are currently homeless and the global world is witnessing the highest levels of displacement on record. An unprecedented 65.3 million people globally have been forced from home; nearly 21.3 million of these people are refugees and more than half are under the age of 18³. Specifically, in Latin America there are large numbers of migrants and refugees, in Chile this has exponentially increased in the past years, with large diversity of countries of origin⁴.

Presently as practicing nurses and researchers we need to discuss migration (both voluntary and involuntary) in the context of social determinants of health. We know that where people and populations live and work impacts their health. We also know that migrants and refugees experience poorer health outcomes. As nurses and nurse researchers, we are often at the front lines of care and work with migrant and refugee communities. We are pivotal actors in maintaining and sustaining global health. This editorial offers suggestions to work with migrants and refugees.

Clinical nurses are the main providers of care in the health care system. Because of their educational and clinical preparation, they possess skills for counseling, teaching and advocating at both the individual and community level. Historically, nurses have worked with the most vulnerable communities. In considering nursing practice and migrant and refugee health, we need to provide culturally sensitive care and have nurses able to communicate and understand not only western medicine, but also alternative/complementary ways of care.