IOM in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Health, through
the Nairobi – North District Medical Office, yesterday
launched a series of vaccination campaigns for urban refugees and
migrants living in Nairobi.

The campaigns will be held at the Eastleigh Community Wellness
Centre, a facility that IOM set up to address the health needs of
urban refugees, asylum-seekers, irregular migrants and other mobile
populations regardless of their immigration status in the Greater
Nairobi area.

During the campaigns, children under the age of five will be
vaccinated against all childhood diseases. De-worming for both
children and adults will also be carried out.

In addition to the immunization campaign, IOM and the Ministry
of Public Health will conduct free tuberculosis investigation and
treatment, HIV/AIDS voluntary counselling and testing (VCT),
provision of antiretroviral therapy (ART), treatment of
opportunistic infections for those who are HIV-positive, and public
health education.

According to IOM Migration Health Physician Dr. Lovorka Ikovac,
IOM and the Ministry of Health jointly launched the vaccination
campaign after recognizing the need to improve immunization
coverage for the migrant/refugee population in Eastleigh. Other
services were then included in the campaign.

"Vaccination for children under the age of five years will be
done once a month, VCT for HIV/AIDS three times a week, and TB
diagnosis and public health talks on a continuous basis," says Dr.
Ikovac.

On the first day of the campaign, 64 children were vaccinated,
de-wormed and given vitamin A. Some 42 people came to the centre
for VCT for HIV.

IOM established the centre in Eastleigh because it is home to a
large number of urban migrants and refugees, many of whom have poor
access to health services. The area has a high incidence of
reproductive and maternal and child health problems, contagious
disease outbreaks, tuberculosis, sexually transmitted infections
and other diseases.

IOM also works in Eastleigh with an NGO Cherish Others to
provide a range of health promotion/educational activities designed
to improve the physical, social and mental well-being of vulnerable
mixed migration populations. It is also planning to undertake
applied research to improve mother and child health among urban
refugees and migrants.

For further information, please contact:

Lovorka Ikovac

IOM Kenya

Tel: +254 722 979 683

E-mail: "mailto:likovac@iom.int" target="_blank" title=
"">likovac@iom.int

or

Rose Ogola

IOM Kenya

Tel: +254 20 4444 174/167

E-mail: "mailto:rogola@iom.int" target="_blank" title=
"">rogola@iom.int