A function to kick off “Cross-border Tuberculosis Control Along the Border-” being held in HCM City on May 19. (Photo courtesy of IOM Vietnam)HCM City (VNS/VNA) – The (IOM)
has launched the second phase of its “Cross-border Tuberculosis control along
the Vietnam and Cambodia border” project in partnership with Vietnam’s National
Tuberculosis Control Programme and National Lung Hospital and Cambodia’s
National Centre for Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control.
With financial aid from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS,
Tuberculosis and Malaria, the project aims to improve access to TB diagnosis
and treatment for migrants in the border areas between the two countries and
strengthen cross-border partnership and collaboration between health
authorities in the provinces of An Giang and Tay Ninh in Vietnam and Svay Rieng
and Takeo in Cambodia.
The kicked off the programme in Ho Chi Minh City on May
19.
Cross-border migrants often have difficulty in accessing
healthcare services due to a lack of health insurance, language barriers,
limited understanding of the local healthcare system, and discrimination,
according to IOM Vietnam.
This could cause delays in seeking TB diagnosis and
treatment, and treatment interruption, resulting in poor treatment outcomes and
drug resistant TB.
In the 2022 WHO Global TB Report, Vietnam remained one of 30
highest burden countries for the disease, and Cambodia is on a watchlist though
it has been phased out of the list.
In 2020 IOM, in partnership with Vietnam’s National
Tuberculosis Control Programme and Cambodia’s National Centre for Tuberculosis
and Leprosy Control, conducted operational research to better understand the
barriers to accessing and utilising TB diagnosis and treatment faced by
cross-border migrants in the four border provinces.
It provided a platform for public health officials in the two
countries to develop practical interventions for collaborative TB control in
border areas.
It also highlighted the current limited collaboration and
partnerships.
“Ensuring migrant health requires holistic efforts between
countries involved in their migration process,” IOM chief of mission, Park
Mihyung, said.
“It is very important that we develop and adapt a
migrant-sensitive referral system for cross-border migrants with TB and
facilitate the establishment of local TB and HIV/AIDS taskforces in An Giang, Tay
Ninh, Svay Rieng, and Takeo provinces.
“That way, we can make sure that the treatment of TB for
cross-border migrants remains uninterrupted through all health networks across
borders.
“I also welcome cooperation from other, non-health sectors
like immigration and border security to make sure that we all understand the
importance of healthy migrants for healthy economies.”
IOM is also working closely with the Migration Health Working
Group, an inter-ministerial working group established by the Ministry of
Health, to address important migrant health issues and co-ordinate with
relevant stakeholders to foster migrant-friendly health interventions and
policies./.
Source: VietnamPlus
