Deputy Minister of Health Nguyễn Tri Thức (left) and Park Mi-Hyung, Chief of Mission of IOM in Việt Nam at the Memorandum of Understanding signing ceremony. — VNS Photo Thu Trang

HÀ NỘI — The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the Ministry of Health (MoH) on Wednesday afternoon agreed to strengthen their collaboration in promoting the health and well-being of migrants by signing a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

Under the MoU, they also agreed to promote migrants' inclusion in national health systems and policies.

The MoU reflects nearly 40 years of collaboration between IOM and MoH, which began in the early 1980s.

Over the years, this partnership has grown from IOM health assessment programmes for populations moving to destination countries to public health efforts that facilitate better access to healthcare services for migrants and strengthen cross-border disease control and public health emergency response and preparedness.

Việt Nam has become a significant source of migrants, particularly those seeking employment opportunities abroad.

Recent data shows a resurgence in international labour migration, with approximately 155,000 Vietnamese citizens securing employment abroad last year alone, equivalent to nearly a third of the new workers entering the labour market.

Similar to other countries in the ASEAN region, the burden of health issues in Việt Nam remains complex, including infectious diseases, occupational health hazards and injuries, mental health challenges, non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes and maternal and child health problems.

Infectious diseases like human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), tuberculosis (TB) and malaria continue to be significant concerns.

Achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) remains a challenging goal and presents an even greater challenge for migrants.

Recent studies conducted by IOM in the region have highlighted the challenges faced by cross-border migrants in accessing healthcare, including language barriers, discrimination, financial constraints, lack of health insurance across borders and lack of official cross-border referral mechanisms for migrant patients.

They can be made even more vulnerable in pandemic situations due to inadequate access to needed health care and services, as shown during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Representatives pose for a photo at the signing ceremony. — VNS Photo Thu Trang

Park Mi-Hyung, Chief of Mission of IOM in Việt Nam, stressed the importance of this collaboration to ensure the health and well-being of migrants, aligning with the goals of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration (GCM) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“In a world where an increasing number of people are on the move, collaborations and partnerships are crucial to enhance the health and well-being of migrants. Healthy migrants contribute to healthy communities,” she said.

Nguyễn Tri Thức, Deputy Minister of Health, said that in recent years, the MoH and IOM have actively cooperated in many areas related to ensuring the health of migrants, including raising awareness of migrants’ health, strengthening bilateral cooperation in cross-border tuberculosis control and preparing for and responding to public health emergencies.

In addition, he said, IOM supported enhanced regional cooperation last year through regional workshops on migration and migrant health.

Goal 3 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals is good health and well-being.

“I hope we will continue to promote closer cooperation to successfully implement the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals,” said Thức. — VNS