Guyana - IOM is working to improve public health and raise health awareness among migrant mine workers, loggers, sex workers and remote host communities in Guyana.

The project: Health Promotion Among Key Populations in the Logging and Mining Sectors of Guyana, developed in collaboration with Guyana’s Health Ministry and funded by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, aims to contribute to improved access to healthcare and testing for mobile populations including sex workers, miners, loggers, and other affected individuals and communities in the country. 

There are an estimated 20,000 Brazilian migrants living and working in Guyana. Many are miners, loggers and sex workers, among other livelihoods.

The project is focusing on a community-based approach by creating strong partnerships with local authorities on HIV/AIDS, sexual reproductive health and other vulnerabilities faced by mobile populations.

HIV prevention, behavior change communication and HIV counselling and testing among loggers, miners and female sex workers will be carried out in four administrative regions of Guyana.

To date, IOM has trained 89 stakeholders including government and civil society organizations in three regions, on “Health, Mobility & Vulnerability”, “Stigma, Discrimination & Human Rights” and “Community Mobilization, Networking and Referrals.” 

Some 16 health workers in the four regions have also received specialized training to strengthen their capacity to deliver HIV prevention programmes.

The first field outreach began in December with visits to logging and mining camps. These reached 243 people (210 miners and loggers and 33 female sex workers) with  HIV prevention, and 133 people (112 miners and loggers, and 21 female sex workers) with  testing and counselling.  The project will continue through 2017.

For more information please contact

Sean Wilson

IOM Guyana

Email: iomguyana@iom.int

Tel.: +592-226-4732