POLICY BRIEF
Public Health Rev.
Rethinking Health Priorities for Displaced Populations Through the Integration of Epigenetics and Iterative Reasoning
- AM
Alessandra Milani 1,2
- LS
Luisa Saiani 3
- KM
Ketti Mazzocco 2,4
1. PhD Student, Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy, Rome, Italy
2. European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Milan, Italy
3. Universita degli Studi di Verona, Verona, Italy
4. University of Milan, Department of Oncology and Haemato-Oncology, Milan, Italy
Select one of your emails
You have multiple emails registered with Frontiers:
Notify me on publication
Please enter your email address:
If you already have an account, please login
You don't have a Frontiers account ? You can register here
Abstract
Abstract Background. Over 120 million people are forcibly displaced worldwide, nearly half of them children. Current health responses remain largely emergency-driven, addressing immediate survival needs but overlooking the longer-term biological and psychosocial consequences of chronic trauma. Analysis. Emerging evidence suggests that severe adversities, for example those happening during pregnancy and early childhood, can become biologically embedded through changes in gene regulation. While data on humans are largely observational, and inherited transgenerational effects remain under investigation, the initial evidence reinforces the importance of prioritizing continuity of care, trauma-informed services, and early-life interventions alongside social determinants. Policy Options. We propose three complementary actions: (1) scale community-based, culturally responsive, trauma-informed mental health services integrated with primary care; (2) incorporate trauma science, epigenetics, and complex systems-related thinking into medical and social curricula; and (3) adopt iterative, adaptive policy cycles that revisit priorities through shared indicators and stakeholder feedbacks. Conclusion. Shifting from one-off crisis management to iterative, evidence-informed planning enables health systems to address both immediate needs and longer-term, potentially intergenerational risks, making responses more anticipatory, accountable, and sustainable.
Summary
Keywords
complex systems, dispaced people, epigenetics, priority, trauma science
Received
30 June 2025
Accepted
20 April 2026
Copyright
© 2026 Milani, Saiani and Mazzocco. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
*Correspondence: Alessandra Milani; Ketti Mazzocco
Disclaimer
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.