Health CS Hon. Aden Duale Engages IOM on Strengthening Healthcare Access for Migrants and Refugees
๐๐๐ข๐ซ๐จ๐๐ข, ๐๐๐ง๐ฒ๐ - ๐๐ฎ๐ง๐ ๐๐, ๐๐๐๐
Health Cabinet Secretary Hon. Aden Dualeย ย held a strategic engagement with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), led by Chief of Mission Mr. John MacCue, to explore areas of collaboration in enhancing access to quality healthcare services for refugees and migrant populations in Kenya.
The meeting addressed the need to improve registration of migrants and refugees, with the Cabinet Secretary reaffirming the Ministryโs commitment to facilitating their enrolment into the health system to enable access to affordable care in line with the governmentโs Universal Health Coverage (UHC) agenda.
Hon. Duale also noted the Ministryโs plans to establish a stronger regulatory role in ensuring quality healthcare is provided not only to migrant populations but also to the communities that host them.
IOM expressed its commitment to collaborate with the Ministry in conducting a population mobility mapping exercise. The initiative will inform targeted public health interventions and identify areas at risk of cross-border disease transmission, particularly Ebola Virus Disease (EVD). It will also support capacity-building for Ministry officials, who will cascade the training to other points of entry and counties managing diseases of public health concern.
Additionally, IOM will continue to support the Ministry through operational and technical collaboration in disease preparedness, response, and recovery, building on existing memoranda of understanding.