Conakry, Guinea -­ The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene have partnered to improving access to immunization services targeting 360,000 mobile, vulnerable, and hard-to-reach populations in Guinea. 

The partnership looks to strengthening multi-sectoral collaboration and provide technical assistance to the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) and National Health Security Agency (ANSS). It will further contribute to improving the immunization service offer, strengthening operational planning capacities, and effectively supporting the implementation of the action plan for the relaunch of the Expanded Programme on Immunization in Guinea.  "This new partnership is an opportunity for us to reach more targets through immunization in general,” said Dr Alphonse Vohou Sakouvogui, Advisor on Health, Public Hygiene, Gender, and Social Inclusion at the Prime Minister’s Office, “we are convinced that the roll-out of interventions will be a success, thanks to the collaboration of all the actors involved. Together, we can protect all our community members’ health, including the most vulnerable.” 

“The project aims to boost immunization coverage among mobile and hard-to-reach populations at priority points of entry and in areas of high mobility, as well as the migrant transit and counselling centre, which is a transit and mobility area, and other strategic sites,” said Ms. Ana Fonseca, Chief of Mission of IOM Guinea, “in addition to vaccines against COVID-19 for migrants and host populations, the focus will be on tracking down zero-dose and under-immunized children crossing these points of entry and referring them so that they can be traced and immunized.” 

 “I am convinced that IOM’s activities, which complement the efforts of other partners, will effectively support the Guinean Government in its efforts to make vaccines accessible to all those who need it, including vulnerable people,” said Dr Marthe S. Essengue Elouma, Gavi Regional Director for West and Central Africa, “these activities are also fully in line with Guinea’s stated ambition to mainstream COVID-19 vaccines into routine immunization and primary health care activities.”  

The partnership symbolic unveiled at Jean Paul 2 returnee transit centre, underlines its importance in a centre which receives an average of 4,800 migrants a year. 

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For further information, please contact: 

Dr Appolinaire LAMAH, Public Health Coordinator, IOM Guinea, Tel.: +224 625 25 88 40, Email: alamah@iom.int.