FIAP supports Bolivia’s public health policy on early detection and referral of victims of human trafficking

Detecting human trafficking offences in hospitals or health centres is crucial for protecting victims and preventing future crimes. Healthcare professionals play a key role in identifying and caring for victims of trafficking, as they often seek medical attention in these places.

Training healthcare staff to care for victims of trafficking for sexual exploitation is essential to ensure that they know how to identify them and provide them with the care they need. For this reason, in coordination with the Bolivian Ministry of Health and Sports, FIAP, through the European project in Bolivia on the prevention of human trafficking, smuggling of migrants and related crimes, has designed a 'Practical guide for the early detection of victims of human trafficking and their referral by healthcare personnel in Bolivia'.

For the development of this guide, designed with a focus on gender, interculturality, indigenous communities and human rights, an activity was carried out with the participation of two Spanish specialists: María Vilches Fernández, Prosecutor attached to the Human Trafficking and Immigration Unit of the Spanish Attorney General's Office; and José Luis Casado, Doctor of Medicine, Specialist in Infectious Diseases and Microbiology (Expert in Sexual Health).

The activity enabled participation and coordination with the institutions involved, which greatly enriched the guide, as it allowed for the introduction of different perspectives and views on the work of health personnel as a fundamental element in the early detection of possible victims.

The guide has been designed to identify the 14 types of trafficking defined in Law 263 on Combating Trafficking and Smuggling of Persons (labour exploitation, sexual exploitation, organ trafficking, customary servitude, forced begging, etc.).

The ultimate goal is to provide health personnel with a tool to detect possible victims of trafficking, while also ensuring their safety in the event of a possible complaint. The issue of safe reporting has repeatedly emerged as a barrier to the sector's involvement in this identification process. For this reason, coordination with the Bolivian police and the Public Prosecutor's Office is key in creating a safe environment for the sector should they need to report a possible trafficking situation.

Once completed, this guide will be approved by the Ministry of Health and Sports and officially implemented as a national tool. It is aimed at all healthcare personnel working at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels, i.e. from basic and preventive care to hospitals and specialities.