This report provides an overview of activities led and implemented by the Migration Health Division of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in 2023, in close collaboration with Member States, other United Nations agencies and partners. These interventions served to deliver and promote comprehensive, preventive and curative health programmes that are beneficial, accessible, rights-based and equitable for migrants, mobile populations and host communities.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) actively collaborates with different stakeholders and partners globally to enhance rapid detection and response mechanisms for disease outbreaks, with an approach anchored in a comprehensive understanding of human mobility dynamics. The movements of populations, including the points of origin, transit, destination, and return, encapsulate mobility within and across borders.

This report describes the findings of an assessment of needs, gaps and capacity resources for integrating the social sciences for community engagement (CE) in humanitarian action (HA) and programming, including a derived competency framework for SS4CE. These activities were conducted by Sonar-Global’s partner, the Amsterdam Institute for Global Health and Development (AIGHD) with support from Institut Pasteur, for the Social Sciences for Community Engagement in Humanitarian Action (SS4CE in HA) project led by UNICEF, with funding from the U.S. Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance.

Social Science for Community Engagement in Humanitarian Action Project (SS4CE in HA) is an initiative launched at the end of 2020, funded by the Bureau of Humanitarian Affairs, USAID. The main objectives focus on co-creation of global goods, designed as a collaborative approach that connects with global humanitarian and public health system-wide existing mechanisms that harness active participation of humanitarian organizations, academic institutions and donors.

The issue of the Bulletin features publications on migration, zoonoses, infectious diseases, non-communicable diseases, mental health, among others.

The audio podcast episode discusses the importance of the inclusion of migrants into policies and actions towards zoonotic disease prevention and control as well as outlines guidance on the integration of migration into health interventions.

Surveillance is a pillar of the public health response to epidemics and pandemics. Yet, gaps in surveillance, from the local to the global, continue to leave the world vulnerable to infectious hazards. To address these vulnerabilities, the health emergency preparedness, response, and resilience (HEPR) architecture calls for a new approach to future surveillance - collaborative surveillance - that aligns traditional tactics with new initiatives to safeguard health for all.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) Migration Health Assessment Programme (HAP), as part of the Migration Health Division, delivers pre-migration health activities as one of the most well-established and longest-standing services provided by the Organization. These activities are undertaken in the context of regular international migration at the request of receiving country governments and vary in scope according to the receiving country protocols and the epidemiological profile of the country of origin.

This report and action plan summarize the proceedings and outcome of a 2-day Joint convening on COVID-19 vaccination in humanitarian settings and the contribution to broader pandemic preparedness held on 14–15 February 2023 in Nairobi, Kenya.

IOM plays a key role in responding to humanitarian and public health emergencies. Health support in emergencies is an essential part of IOM’s humanitarian mandate and is recognized by the Organization’s Migration Crisis Operational Framework1 as one of the 15 sectors of assistance to address before, during, and after crises.

This report is an annual overview of activities led and implemented by the Migration Health Division of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in 2022, in close collaboration with Member States, other United Nations agencies, and partners, to respond to major health needs in the context of human mobility, meet operational challenges and advance understanding of migration health, encourage socioeconomic development through migration, and work towards ensuring respect of the human dignity and well-being of migrants.