IOM Ethiopia has officially opened its third Migration Health Assessment Center (MHAC) in Jijiga City in the Somali Regional State of Ethiopia.

The center, which joins two others in Addis Ababa and Shire, is funded by the US State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM) and has been conducting initial pilot health services for refugees since 14 September 2015.

Over 1,600 Somali refugees have received medical screening as part of the United States Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) at the center over the past five months.

Health assessments include physical examination, tuberculosis (TB) investigation, directly observed therapy (DOT) during TB treatment, testing for Hepatitis B, treatment for syphilis, administration of vaccines and health education. Medical staff also determines fitness to travel and other health requirements during travel.

The center will bring medical services much closer to the Jijiga area refugee camps of Aw Bare, Sheder and Kebribeyah, significantly reducing the distance that refugees have to travel. Previously they needed to make a 1,400 kilometre roundtrip journey to the MHAC in Addis Ababa. 

IOM Ethiopia works closely with the Ethiopian Government’s Administration for Refugee and Returnee Affairs (ARRA) and Ministry of Health (MoH), together with UNHCR in providing various medical services for refugees across Ethiopia.

For further information, please contact Alemayehu Seifeselassie at IOM Ethiopia, Tel: +251.11. 6611117, Email:aseifeselassie@iom.int.