Vientiane – This week (20-08) the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare (MoLSW) officially launched a bus campaign to strengthen COVID-19 and safe migration messaging efforts on public transport in Vientiane Capital.

Public bus is a common mode of transport used by migrants to travel to and from border, and to return home after completion of quarantine. The campaign aims to provide mobile populations access to timely and correct information on COVID-19, while encouraging the general public to follow basic prevention measures.

The seven posters that have been developed and installed on five identified bus routes with high usage by migrants, cover the following topics: COVID-19 precautionary measures and symptoms; definition of quarantine; safe migration channels; official COVID-19 information sources and no discrimination. A total of 120 copies were printed for installation.

At the launch event, the Director General of the Skills Development and Employment Department (SDED), Anousone Khamsingsavath, and Head of Office a.i. of IOM Zena Van Bemmel-Faulkner joined a short tour on the bus to review the display. Ms Khamsingsavath thanked IOM for the continued support, the team also discussed the possibility of expanding the campaign to cover more routes in provinces with high human mobility in the near future.

Running for three months until mid-November, the campaign will cover five routes within Vientiane Capital where an estimated 1,970 passengers use the buses every day, according to the statistics from the Vientiane Capital State Bus Enterprise.

This activity is part of IOM’s project Enhancing COVID-19 Pandemic Preparedness to Migrants and Mobility Affected Communities in Lao People’s Democratic Republic, supported by the People of Japan.

For more information please contact Karen HO at IOM Vientiane. Tel. + 856 (0)21 267 734. Email: kho@iom.int