Migration Health

IOM delivers and promotes comprehensive, preventive, and curative health programs which are beneficial, accessible, and equitable for migrants and mobile populations. IOM aims to ensure the rights to health for migrants; avoid disparities in health status and access to health services; reduce excess mortality and morbidity among migrant populations and minimize the adverse health outcomes of migrants. 

In Lao PDR, IOM is working closely with the Ministry of Health to implement programs to support and strengthen the capacity of health workers in responding to provide equitable access to standard health care, communicable and non-communicable diseases, as well as advocate for migrant inclusive health policies and programs at a national level in developing policies to promote and protect the health of migrants. 

During the COVID19 pandemic, IOM has worked with the government of Lao PDR, filling the gaps in vaccination rollout to hard-to-reach populations in high mobility areas; specifically, communities in border provinces through the rollout of mobile vaccine clinics, on-the-job capacity training for health officials, community awareness-raising on migration health, and provide direct assistant to vulnerable migrants in the quarantine centers.

Greater Mekong Subregion Capacity Building for HIV/AIDS Prevention Project

The organization to assist Lao PDR and Vietnam governments in risk-mapping and assessment, planning, development, initial phase of implementation, coordination and monitoring of the pilot activities were engaged for a period of approximately 12 months, with all activities to be completed by November 2014. In addition, the project contributed to achieving and sustaining the millennium development goal to have halted and begun to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDs in the Lao PDR and Vietnam. To implement the activities in border provinces, the target included Attapue, Salavan, Champasak, Houaphan, Phongsaly, Luang Namtha, Oudomxay and Bokeo provinces and 15 provinces in Vietnam.  

Key Donor: Asian Development Bank (ADB)

Mobile and Migration Populations: Regional Capacity Development Technical Assistance for Malaria and Communicable Disease Control, Lao PDR

In Lao PDR, Technical Assistance activities are aimed at increasing access to malaria prevention, testing, and treatment for MMPs and strengthening regional coordination on malaria and communicable disease control across the GMS. These activities are designed to align closely with the National and Regional Strategic Plans for malaria and build on national and WHO guidelines for malaria elimination and forms part of a broader ADB investment in health security that focuses on the prevention and control of communicable diseases such as malaria, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, pandemic influenza, and emerging diseases which would have substantial socio-economic impacts in GMS. It also builds on ADB’s region-wide support for malaria elimination initiatives such as the Asia Pacific Leaders Malaria Alliance (APLMA) and the Regional Malaria and Other Communicable Disease Threat Trust Fund (RMTF). The project was implemented in July 2016 – December 2017 to increase access to malaria prevention, testing and treatment for Mobile and Migrant Populations in the project's sites, Phouvong district of Attapeu province and Khong district of Champasak province.  

Disaster Response and Displacement Management

Lao People’s Democratic Republic is prone to recurrent hazards including floods, drought, and landslides. Floods are highly disruptive to the livelihoods of people since affected areas often include primary economic activities (such as agriculture) and are home to over 60% of the population. Six major floods from 2008-2016 have displaced more than 110,811 people, making the country one of the most disaster-prone areas in Southeast Asia. In 2015, IOM developed and implemented its first disaster risk management (DRM) project: “Strengthening Capacity to Respond to Humanitarian Emergencies in Lao People’s Democratic Republic.” This project targeted the central government and delivered three provincial training courses in the areas of shelter, camp coordination/camp management, and the provision of humanitarian relief items.  

From July 2018 to February 2019, IOM provided technical expertise in disaster response, displacement management, and migration health to assist the victims and affected population of the flooding in Attapeu province. IOM provided material support and conducted capacity building trainings for government officials and camp managers on Displacement Tracking Matrix and Camp Coordination/Camp Management, as well as village volunteers to disseminate Build Back Safer messages to affected households. In addition, IOM conducted three rounds of data collections after which produced the Displacement Tracking Matrix reports and provided several technical tools and resources on Shelter and Camp Coordination/Camp Management with key government partners.  

For the health sector, IOM donated mosquito nets and clothes for men and women in flood affected area, as well as medical equipment along with related trainings to three health facilities in the districts. IOM also provided vehicles on the ground to assist the distribution of medical equipment, such as vaccinations and assisted in the transportation of health staff. In February 2019, IOM also assisted the Lao-Thai government cooperation on the deployment of a joint psychologist team and facilitated the training for medical and non-medical professionals in the flood affected districts.  

Advancing the Global Health Security Agenda through Strengthening Capacities for Rapid Response to Humanitarian and Public Health

In 2021, IOM Lao PDR contributed to the wider IOM objective under the “Advancing the Global Health Security Agenda through Strengthening Capacities for Rapid Response to Humanitarian and Public Health” program. The program achievements are directly aligned with the overall program’s aim, to facilitate vaccines for vulnerable populations in humanitarian settings through a variety of activities, which are defined in the agreement with Governments and the respective Ministries of Health, and international standards and prioritization criteria (such as SAGE[1]). In the Lao PDR context, the intervention achieved under the project directly responds to the various Appeals from the Government of Lao PDR to the United Nations in Lao PDR, including facilitating access to vaccines for populations across the country. Furthermore, the project activities contributed to the Government’s commitment in achieving a 50 percent vaccination rate amongst the Lao population by the end of 2021 and 80 percent by the end of 2022.  

IOM’s intervention in Lao PDR specifically responded to fillings the gaps in vaccination rollout in hard-to-reach populations in high mobility areas, specifically communities in border provinces. Through specific mapping, based on needs identified in partnership with the Ministry of Health, three provinces benefitted from the interventions: Khammouane Province in central, Houaphanh in eastern, and Phonsaly Province in northern Lao PDR. The main activities were access to vaccination support through the rollout of mobile vaccine clinics, on-the-job capacity training for health officials, and community awareness-raising on migration health. The project supported the deployment of 219 health workers (including nurses and public health specialists) to 381 villages across the five districts in 3 focal provinces for a rollout of mobile vaccination clinics. Mix vaccination doses (dose 1 and 2) of various vaccination brands (Astra Zeneca, Sinopharm, and Johnson & Johnson) were administered, directly benefitting 15,831 (48% women, 11% under 18s) individuals who received the vaccination and indirectly benefitting 26,605 who benefitted from awareness-raising outreach sessions about COVID- 19. The intervention included providing personal protective equipment (PPE) to health workers, such as masks, hand washing gel, alcohol, and visibility materials on COVID-19 prevention, promote COVID-19 vaccination, and safe migration along with co-branding (SDC, IOM, and DHHP Logo) vests to 150 health workers implementing the activity.  

Key donors: Community Chest of Korea (CCK); USAID Office of US Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA); Asian Development Bank