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.