IOM Iraq facilitates cross-regional meeting between health officials in Iraq, Jordan and Kenya

by Mary-Sanyu Osire

Almost eight years after the U.S. military occupation, Iraq struggles to cope with large-scale displacement and pressing humanitarian needs.

In an effort to build Iraq’s capacity to deal with the complexities of addressing the health concerns of so many internally displaced people, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) helped to facilitate a high-level cross-regional meeting between National Tuberculosis (TB) Control Program senior management staff from Iraq, Jordan, and Kenya.

The meeting, held in Jordan on May 2011, provided an opportunity for the health officers to share knowledge on managing mobile populations, effective border-control methods, and ways to prevent the spread of TB and other infectious diseases.

Iraq struggles to cope with large-scale displacement. PHOTO/IRIN

In 2011 alone, IOM Iraq has successfully provided health screening, care, and treatment for 12,000 displaced migrants who have been selected for resettlement to the US. This marks a significant increase from the 5,000 migrants who were screened by IOM in 2008.

IOM in Iraq has 35 health staff who work in a clinic within Albitar hospital, one of the leading health centres in Baghdad, Iraq’s capital city. In addition to migrants who have been accepted for resettlement to the US, IOM staff carries out health assessments for migrants traveling to Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Finland, Austria, and France.

IOM’s health assessment program in Iraq is being run in close partnership with the Government and partners in the private sector.

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Region: Iraq, Middle East
Theme(s): Migration, Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), Health

The author is soon to be one of East Africa's most revered Migration and Health communications officers. Email her on: msanyu@yahoo.com