Strengthening the partnership at local level June 21, 2017 Skopje, Republic of Macedonia – Director of the SEEHN Secretariat Dr Mira Jovanovski Dasic and International Organization for Migration (IOM) Head of Office in the Republic of Macedonia MSc.Sonja Bozinovska Petrusevska, met at the Seat of the SEEHN Secretariat, Skopje, Republic of Macedonia.
Future collaboration and possibilities for strengthening the partnership of the SEEHN and the IOM were discussed.
Within its Migration Health Division (MHD), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), in its role of United Nations Migration Agency, delivers and promotes comprehensive, preventive and curative health programmes which are beneficial, accessible, and equitable for migrants and mobile populations. The IOM’s Head of Office, Ms Bozinovska-Petrusevska has explained the activities implemented by IOM, as a support to the country in addressing the complex migration situation, but also pointed out to the longer-term activities related to renovation of hospitals and donation of medical equipment that contributed towards enhanced conditions for health assistance to migrants and refugees, but also for the local population inhabited in the areas affected by the migration flows. Ms. Bozinovska-Petrusevska pointed out to the future cooperation perspectives between IOM Skopje and SEEHN with focus on the health aspects of the human mobility, transfer of health related expertise, strengthening of the regional referral and cooperation mechanisms, as well as enhancing the overall capacities for provision of health assistance to the vulnerable categories.
Several SEEHN countries are facing an increased influx of migrants and refugees seeking to cross the SEE countries to reach their final destination Western European countries. These large – scale arrivals of refugees and migrants represent great public health challenge. Taking adequate measures for securing their health and safety, as well as securing public health safety of the SEE countries and their citizens is of key importance.
Dr Jovanovski Dasic highlighted that in order to have national and better regional and international response there is need to strengthen the collaboration with all relevant international stakeholders, WHO, UNHCR, UNFPA, IOM and other acters who can improve the mechanisms for providing urgent assistance to the countries in need.
This week IOM and UNHCR are organizing in Skopje a Conference on the global compact of migration and global compact of migrants. IOM invited Secretariat of SEEHN to participate to this event, as a first step for further collaboration and strengthening of the partnership.
