The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) is scaling up its health response across Africa, responding swiftly to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) this past September.

IOM is also supporting mpox preparedness in several African countries.

The agency’s priority is to make fully operational all points of entry and screening to prevent disease in areas where there is human movement.

“These measures help prevent the spread of disease and keep both travellers and border communities safe,” IOM’s regional director for East, Horn and Southern Africa, Frantz Celestin, said in a statement on Tuesday.

Border communities face heightened risk due to high mobility and limited access to health services, but thanks to operational screening points, over 169,000 screenings had been conducted.

The agency is also supporting national mpox responses in several countries. In Uganda and Ethiopia, health authorities are using IOM’s mobility data for public health planning and outbreak preparedness.

In Ethiopia, and South Sudan, IOM is enhancing surveillance, contact tracing and access to vaccination at key border points. 

(NAN)