Health conditions of migrants, refugees and asylum seekers on search and rescue vessels on the central Mediterranean Sea, 2016-2019: a retrospective analysis.

Objectives: This study will contribute to the systematic epidemiological description of morbidities among migrants, refugees and asylum seekers when crossing the Mediterranean Sea.

Setting: Since 2015, Médecins sans Frontières (MSF) has conducted search and rescue activities on the Mediterranean Sea to save lives, provide medical services, to witness and to speak out.

Participants: Between November 2016 and December 2019, MSF rescued 22 966 migrants, refugees and asylum seekers.