Health Program

August 12, 2020 (Obock, Djibouti): A team from IGAD- The Intergovernmental Authority for Development- made a visit on the 12^th of August to the town of Obock-(Republic of Djibouti) to hand over a donation consisting of face masks and sanitary gel for the refugees in the Markazi camp as part of the efforts or actions to prevent the spread of COVID 19 virus. The donation was officially transferred to the authorities of the Prefecture of Obock and to officers of the National Office for Assistance to Refugees and Displaced persons (ONARS) in the presence of members of the refugee community.

This visit by the IGAD team was an opportunity to learn first-hand about the extremely precarious social conditions of the migrant populations in the Obock region.

The visit of the IGAD team to Obock was a continuation of   field visits undertaken at Holl-Holl refugee camp and Aour Aoussa Migrant center in the Ali Sabieh Region, in the southern part of the Republic of Djibouti, in the course of June and July 2020 by the Executive Secretary of IGAD His Excellency Dr. Workneh Gebeyehu. During these visits, the Executive Secretary of IGAD handed over similar donations of sanitary equipment to demonstrate the solidarity and IGAD's commitment to mitigate the impacts of the COVID 19 pandemic on vulnerable groups such as refugees and migrants.

While visiting Obock, the IGAD team IGAD witnessed various challenges and identified the humanitarian expectations and the needs of the vulnerable populations.

Obock Region, located in the northern part of the Republic of Djibouti, is a major migratory route and crossing point for thousands of migrants from IGAD Countries.

The humanitarian situation of migrant is particularly worrying, especially in the current context of the Covid 19 pandemic.

Finding durable solutions to the migrants and refugees remains an absolute priority.  And IGAD will continue to exert concerted efforts to ensure the effective implementation of regional strategy for COVID-19 response   and better coordination between the Member States will.

Dec. 11, 2019 (ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia): The Director of Health and Social Development of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD)-Ms Fathia A. Alwan, and the Health Director General of the Ministry of Health of Ethiopia-Dr. S. Tadesse, this morning inaugurated a cross border collaboration orientation meeting to establish inter-country referral mechanism among Member States.

 Participants to the meeting are:

• Various actors from member states including National Tuberculosis managers, members of the national Country Coordination Mechanism (CCM) and members and District Health Offices at the border areas;
• Sub recipient stakeholders such as the UNHCR country offices from the region, the Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS) and the Administration for Repatriation and Returnees Affairs of Ethiopia (ARRA); and
• Refugee camps operations.

The overall objective of the meeting is to strengthen collaboration strategies across border areas through revitalisation of already existing and established cross border platforms while improving linkages between refugee health settings and cross border areas thanks to the grant received from the Global Fund.

Strengthening regional coordination and collaboration for effective HIV, TB and Malaria service delivery in the cross-border areas and refuge settings is among the priority focus of the IGAD HIV, TB and malaria strategic plan 2018-2025’, according to the Director of the Heath and Social Development Division at IGAD.

The Global Fund grant has a component for cross border collaboration, and which is aimed ‘at facilitating continuum of care across the border areas and improving of health collaboration through revitalising the coordination mechanism and having functional referral mechanisms’, Ms Fathia A. Alwan also said in her opening remarks.

By the end of the cross border collaboration and orientation meeting, participants would have agreed on:

• The role and responsibilities of a coordination committee;
• The operation modalities for the cross border collaboration;
• A country plan for rolling out the cross border health collaboration;
• A joint plan (pairing) and milestones/deliverables in line with project work plan; and
• A validated Referral Form.

The grant from the Global Fund is implemented by IGAD as the principal recipient and UNHCR, ARRA, and KRCS as sub recipients through already identified sub-sub recipients in 52 refugee camps located in Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda and cross border collaboration activities in all IGAD member countries.

Oct. 19, 2019 (ENTEBBE, Uganda): The Senior Regional Programme Coordinator at IGAD Health and Social Development Division, Mrs Fatuma I. Adan, yesterday inaugurated a Validation Workshop for IGAD Nutrition Advocacy Strategy in Entebbe.

July 03, 2019 (DJIBOUTI, Djibouti): On behalf of the regional organisation’s Executive Secretary, the Director of the Health and Social Development Division of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), Ms. Fathia A. Alwan, signed a grant agreement with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Geneva on June 26.

UNHCR is the sub recipient for the components of the grant which will be implemented in 22 refugee camps and settlements in Djibouti, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda. It is a 33-month grant with a value of about US$ 2.2 million whereby the effective date of implementation is July 2019 and end date on March 2022.

IGAD along with member states and stakeholders developed a proposal on the multi country TB interventions among refugees in Eastern Africa and submitted it to the Global Fund (GF) on 30 April 2019. The GF Technical Review Panel and Grant Approval Committee found the proposal technically sound and robust, and recommended it for funding. After which the Global Fund approved the US$ 7.5 million proposal on Multi country TB Interventions for Refugees in Eastern Africa.

IGAD and the Global Fund signed the grant agreement mid May 2019. Agency for Refugees and Returnees Affair in Ethiopia (ARRA), the Kenya Red Cross Society and UNHCR ARRA, KRCS and UNHCR will continue to be the sub recipients for the new grant. IGAD signed Principal- Sub recipient grant agreement with ARRA and KRCS and the implementation of the grant in Ethiopia and Kenya has started in April 2019.

The implementation of the first IGAD TB-HIV grant by the Global Fund ended in March 2019 with successful achievements. Along with the Agency for Refugees and Returnees Affair in Ethiopia (ARRA), the Kenya Red Cross Society and UNHCR, the grant was implemented in 49 refugee camps in Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda.

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