A function to kick off “Cross-border Tuberculosis Control Along the Vietnam and Cambodia Border-Phase 2” being held in HCM City on May 19. (Photo courtesy of IOM Vietnam) With financial aid from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS,Tuberculosis and Malaria, the project aims to improve access to TB diagnosisand treatment for migrants in the border areas between the two countries andstrengthen cross-border partnership and collaboration between healthauthorities in the provinces of An Giang and Tay Ninh in Vietnam and Svay Riengand Takeo in Cambodia.
The IOM kicked off the programme in Ho Chi Minh City on May19.
Cross-border migrants often have difficulty in accessinghealthcare services due to a lack of health insurance, language barriers,limited understanding of the local healthcare system, and discrimination,according to IOM Vietnam.
This could cause delays in seeking TB diagnosis andtreatment, and treatment interruption, resulting in poor treatment outcomes anddrug resistant TB.
In the 2022 WHO Global TB Report, Vietnam remained one of 30highest burden countries for the disease, and Cambodia is on a watchlist thoughit has been phased out of the list.
In 2020 IOM, in partnership with Vietnam’s NationalTuberculosis Control Programme and Cambodia’s National Centre for Tuberculosisand Leprosy Control, conducted operational research to better understand thebarriers to accessing and utilising TB diagnosis and treatment faced bycross-border migrants in the four border provinces.
It provided a platform for public health officials in the twocountries to develop practical interventions for collaborative TB control inborder areas.
It also highlighted the current limited collaboration andpartnerships.
“Ensuring migrant health requires holistic efforts betweencountries involved in their migration process,” IOM chief of mission, ParkMihyung, said.
“It is very important that we develop and adapt amigrant-sensitive referral system for cross-border migrants with TB andfacilitate the establishment of local TB and HIV/AIDS taskforces in An Giang, TayNinh, Svay Rieng, and Takeo provinces.
“That way, we can make sure that the treatment of TB forcross-border migrants remains uninterrupted through all health networks acrossborders.
“I also welcome cooperation from other, non-health sectorslike immigration and border security to make sure that we all understand theimportance of healthy migrants for healthy economies.”
IOM is also working closely with the Migration Health WorkingGroup, an inter-ministerial working group established by the Ministry ofHealth, to address important migrant health issues and co-ordinate withrelevant stakeholders to foster migrant-friendly health interventions andpolicies./.
VNA
