Migration Health Division (MHD)

The MHD, under IOM Nepal, delivers and promotes comprehensive, preventive and curative health programs which are beneficial, accessible, and equitable for migrants and mobile populations in Nepal. MHD has its two Migration Health Assessment Centers (MHACs) in Damak and Kathmandu for providing quality health assessment and travel assistance services to the refugee and migrant population in Nepal.

MHAC Damak conducting health assessments of Bhutanese refugees accepted for resettlement to the United States under the United States Refugee Admission Programme (USRAP), funded by the United States Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM) and the Center for Disease Control (CDC). MHD in Kathmandu runs a clinic in the refugee Transit Center for pre-departure/embarkation checkup to ensure fitness to travel and also provides health assessment service to small number of urban refugees to the United States. MHD Nepal also provides immunization, TB DOT and medical treatment to the refugees to enable them fit to travel and preventing public health risk to other travelers or receiving communities in the countries of resettlement.

The Migration Health Assessment Program for Nepal started in 2007, primarily for Bhutanese refugees from Nepal. Currently, MHD diversified its health assessment services through its MHACs to the refugees resettling to eight different countries, as well as to immigrants bound to the USA, UK, Canada and Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia. Health Assessment requirements for migration to the receiving countries are defined and regulated through country specific Technical Instructions issued by the health authorities of each receiving country. From 2007 through January 2018, MHD performed over 134,925 initial Health Assessments of refugees in Nepal; over 116,127 of these have been for US bound refugees.  Additionally, from 2010 through the end of January 2018, over 73,787 immigrants have been screened by MHD Nepal.

The MHD has a well-equipped TB Laboratory based in Damak and two radiology units with Tele-radiology system in the country, providing almost all needed services in house, and benefitting from well experienced health assessment national and international staff. The MHD has well-established linkages to the government and international counterparts. MHD is particularly active and specialized in the area of tuberculosis (TB) detection. To date, MHD diagnosed and treated successfully over 2300 TB patients including 31 MDR TB patients under its health assessment program in Nepal. Currently MHD has been assisting National TB control Program (NTP) in carrying out the TB Prevalence Survey in Nepal through providing laboratory support for TB sputum smear, GeneXpert and culture examination in the Eastern Region.