Publications Search
This publications portal is a repository of all IOM migration health publications from 2006 to present where IOM was a primary contributor.
Publications include peer-reviewed scientific papers, technical reports, training guides/manuals, policy briefs/discussion papers, factsheets, newsletters, research reviews, conference and poster presentations. These are categorized by topic, author, country/region covered as well as by year, language, and type of publication. The map reflects the countries covered by the publications.
To browse or search: simply use the filter options on the left-hand side. Alternatively, you can enter keyword/s in the search box. Selecting a specific publication will lead to a ‘download’ link or link to the website where the document is housed. Here is the step-by-step guide for your reference.
‘It is a disease which comes and kills directly’: What refugees know about COVID-19 and key influences of compliance with preventive measures
Author/s: Adelaide M. Lusambili, Michela Martini, Faiza Abdirahaman, Asante Abena, Joseph N. Guni, Sharon Ochieng, Stanley Luchters
Abstract
Background
Refugees are at increased risk for COVID-19 infection in part due to their living conditions, which make it harder to adopt and adhere to widely accepted preventive measures. Little empirical evidence exists about what refugees know about COVID-19 and what they do to prevent infection. This study explored what refugee women and their health care workers understand about COVID-19 prevention, the extent of their compliance to public health…
Implementation of a Curriculum to Optimize Hygiene Behaviors among Refugees and Migrants being Resettled
Author/s: Shanna Miko, Sarah J. Hoffman, Mathika Thongkhamkitcharoen, Susan Dicker, Vivian Bampoh, Jean Sitati, Michelle Weinberg, William Stauffer, Alexander Klosovsky
Health knowledge and behaviors can impact well-being and promote community integration post-arrival for refugees and migrants being resettled. Health and hygiene curricula are efficient and accessible mechanisms to mitigate the risk of chronic and infectious diseases in populations being resettled. This report summarizes a successful interagency/interdisciplinary Uganda-based collaboration between the International Organization for Migration, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,…
Read moreManaging the Paradox of Conflictual Policy and Strategy Regarding Health of Irregular Migrants: Perspective From Europe and Africa
Author/s: Ursula Trummer, Michela Martini, Sabelo Mbokazi
Irregular migrants belong to the most vulnerable migrant groups. Health threats associated with an irregular status are high, and access to health services is severely restricted globally. Concerning migration aspects, a common public narrative for Europe and Africa is that Africa is sending thousands of migrants to embark on an irregular life-threatening journey of migration to Europe every year. Although this is a well documented reality, it is by far not the most important migration…
Read morePlanning and implementing a targeted polio vaccination campaign for Somali mobile populations in Northeastern Kenya based on migration and settlement patterns
Author/s: Bonnie Harveya, Warren Dalal, Farah Amin, Elvira McIntyre, Sarah Ward, Rebecca D. Merrill, Abdinoor Mohamed, Christopher H. Hsu
Abstract
Supporting the global eradication of wildpoliovrisu (WPV), this project aimed to provide polio and measles vaccines to a population frequenty missed by immunization services and campaigns, ethnic Somali children living among mobile populations within Kenya's Northeastern Region. Additionally, nutritional support, albendazole (for treatment of intestinal parasites) and vitamin A were provided to improve children's health and in accordance with regional vaccination…
Epidemiological progression of COVID-19 positive cases among transnational truck drivers in the East African Region
Author/s: Michela Martini, Ayomide Sina-Odunsi, Jaqueline Jael Dache, Julius Wekesa, Tasiana Mzozo
COVID-19 triggered a range of border controls to curb the spread of the disease. Containment measures and restrictions were put in place to mitigate cross-border transmission while maintaining the flow of essential goods and services in the East and Horn of Africa Region. The first cases of COVID-19 detection among truck drivers, triggered and strengthened cross-border collaboration for detecting and responding to COVID-19 pandemic. Infection was significantly common among truck drivers in…
Read moreWASH responses to COVID-19 in Ethiopia, Somalia and South Sudan
Author/s: Yasmine Zaki Abdelaziz, Gemma Arthurson, Haley West, Antonio Torres
The humanitarian community has had to learn about COVID-19 while responding to this new disease. From the start it was known that basic hygiene practices, such as proper handwashing, could help prevent its transmission. However, many displacement settings do not have the required facilities for implementing household and community-level Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) measures. They may also have weak governance systems for managing and maintaining water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH…
Read morePrevalence of Malaria Parasite Infections among U.S.-Bound Congolese Refugees with and without Splenomegaly
Author/s: Moses Mwesigwa, Jessica L. Webster, Sam Lubwama Nsobya, Alexander Rowan, Mukunda Singh Basnet, Christina R. Phares, Michelle Weinberg, Alexander Klosovsky, Marwan Naoum, Philip J. Rosenthal, William Stauffer
Abstract
All U.S.-bound refugees from sub-Saharan Africa receive presumptive antimalarial treatment before departing for the United States. Among U.S.-bound Congolese refugees, breakthrough malaria cases and persistent splenomegaly have been reported. In response, an enhanced malaria diagnostic program was instituted. Here, we report the prevalence of plasmodial infection among 803 U.S.-bound Congolese refugees who received enhanced diagnostics. Infections by either rapid…
Read more“We have a lot of home deliveries” A qualitative study on the impact of COVID-19 on access to and utilization of reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health care among refugee women in urban Eastleigh, Kenya
Author/s: Adelaide M Lusambili, Michela Martini, Faiza Abdirahman, Abena Asante, Sharon Ochieng, Joseph N Guni, Rose Maina, Stanley Luchters
Background
Little is known about how pregnant refugee women, and the frontline health care workers who serve them, are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of health, and health service access. Women refugees are classified as a vulnerable group with regard to pregnancy outcomes and access to maternal care and may be disproportionally at risk for COVID-19 infection as they are likely to face unique barriers to information and access to reproductive health services during…
Clinical Sequelae Associated with Unresolved Tropical Splenomegaly in a Cohort of Recently Resettled Congolese Refugees in the United States—Multiple States, 2015–2018
Author/s: Laura Divens Zambrano, Emily Jentes, Christina Phares, Michelle Weinberg, S. Patrick Kachur, Mukunda Singh Basnet, Alexander Klosovsky, Moses Mwesigwa, Marwan Naoum, Samuel Lubwama Nsobya, Olivia Samson, Matthew Goers, Robert McDonald, Bozena Morawski, Henry Njuguna, Corey Peak, Rebecca Laws, Yasser Bakhsh, Sally Ann Iverson, Carla Bezold, Hayder Allkhenfr, Roberta Horth, Jun Yang, Susan Miller, Michael Kacka, Abby Davids, Margaret Mortimer, William Stauffer and Nina Marano
Abstract. Tropical splenomegaly is often associated with malaria and schistosomiasis. In 2014 and 2015, 145 Congolese refugees in western Uganda diagnosed with splenomegaly during pre-departure medical examinations underwent enhanced screening for various etiologies. After anecdotal reports of unresolved splenomegaly and complications after U.S. arrival, patients were reassessed to describe long-term clinical progression after arrival in the United States. Post-arrival medical information…
Read moreEvaluation of the Field Performance of ImmunoCard STAT!® Rapid Diagnostic Test for Rotavirus in Dadaab Refugee Camp and at the Kenya–Somalia Border
Author/s: Maurice Ope, Raymond Nyoka, Ahmed Unshur, Fredrick Oyier, Shafe Mowlid, Brian Owino, Steve Ochieng, Charles Okello, Joel Montgomery, Burton Wagacha, Aleksandar Galev, Abdikadir Abdow, Mathew Esona, Jacqueline Tate, David Fitter, Susan Cookson, Balajee Arunmozhi, Nina Marano
Rotavirus commonly causes diarrhea in children, leading to hospitalization and even death. Rapid diagnostic tests are feasible alternatives for determining rotavirus outbreaks in refugee camps that have inadequate laboratory capacity. We evaluated the field performance of ImmunoCard STAT!® Rotavirus (ICS-RV) in Dadaab Refugee Camp and at the Kenya–Somalia border. From May to December 2014, we prospectively enrolled children aged < 5 years hospitalized with acute…
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