IOM assists crisis-affected populations, governments, and host communities to strengthen and re-establish primary health-care systems. As a formal partner of the World Health Organization (WHO), and as a member of the Strategic Advisory Group of the InterAgency Standing Committee (IASC) Global Health Cluster, and the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN), IOM is a key player in responding to humanitarian and public health emergencies, as well as supporting health system recovery and resilience.

In this issue of the Bulletin, peer-reviewed articles, technical guides, reference books and book chapters which IOM teams have engaged in, ranging from: COVID-19 outbreak preparedness and response in refugee camps, gender-based violence in emergency settings, health system strengthening at borders, and health assessments among forced migrants were profiled. Studies on the elimination of TB and female genital mutilation among migrants and the Ebola outbreak response were also featured.

South Asia, home to around a quarter of the world’s population and 40% of the world’s poor, is being hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. The global response to the pandemic has focused mainly on containment of the contagion and “flattening the curve” through testing and strict social distancing, but these universal approaches fail to take account of resource limitations in countries in South Asia and ignore the realities of vulnerable populations, such as low-income migrants, internally displaced people (IDP) and refugees.

Slogans such as “this viral pandemic respects no borders” or “this is an equal opportunity virus” are often echoed across media platforms and by officials. However, the true impact of pandemics like COVID-19 is rarely homogenous. The spread of the disease and its outcomes affect different persons in different circumstances and at different times in various ways. The interplay between the pathogen, host, and the environment shapes transmission dynamics. This granularity is key to understanding and designing appropriate and targeted measures to mitigate epidemics and this pandemic.

Millions of refugees and migrants reside in countries devastated by protracted conflicts with weakened health systems, and in countries where they are forced to live in substandard conditions in camps and compounds, and high-density slum settings. Although many such settings have yet to feel the full impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the pandemic is now having an unprecedented impact on mobility, in terms of border and migration management, as well as on the health, social, and economic situation of migrant populations globally.

Abstract

Background
The United States has admitted over 80,000 Special Immigrant Visa holders (SIVH), which include children. Despite the increase in the proportion of SIVH admissions to the US over recent years, little is known about health conditions in SIV children. We report the frequency of selected diseases identified overseas and assess differences in selected conditions between SIV children from Iraq and Afghanistan.

This interim guidance addresses specific needs and considerations required in humanitarian situations, including camps and camp-like settings and the surrounding host communities, in scaling-up readiness and response operations for the COVID-19 outbreak through effective multi-sectoral partnership. This is intended for field coordinators, camp managers, and public health personnel, as well as national and local governments and the wider humanitarian community working in humanitarian situations.

Articles looking at (1) the public health issues around migrant populations and their interactions with the host populations; and (2) the infectious disease testing of refugees going to the United Kingdom are profiled.

A book on IOM’s response to Ebola crisis is profiled. Three reports are featured on the Integrated Biological and Behavioural Surveillance Survey conducted in Somalia and Somaliland. Lastly, three articles are presented which examine (1) undocumented migrants’ access to medical care in Latin American countries; (2) health system responses related to infectious disease prevention and control among refugees and asylum seekers in EU; and (3) challenges migrants and refugees face in accessing healthcare and good social determinants of health in Malaysia.

A brief overview is provided on the ‘MHADRI Global Network Member Meeting’ held in Colombo, Sri Lanka in Sep 2017, outlining MHADRI’s vision and initiatives. A book on the assessment of malaria control in Yemen is highlighted. Lastly, three journal articles are presented; one from IOM Nairobi focusing on evaluation of rapid diagnostic test for Rotavirus in Dadaab Refugee Camp; one from IOM Washington D.C.