Jordan - This week IOM, the Jordanian Ministry of Health (MoH) and partners initiated a nation-wide community mobilization and awareness-raising campaign in anticipation to the two-week measles, rubella, and polio immunization campaign scheduled to start on 2^nd of November.

The national campaign will target 3.5 million individuals (under 20 years old) to be immunized against measles and German measles (MR), and against polio (children under 5 years old). The campaign will target Jordanian nationals, Syrian refugees, and people of other nationalities living in Jordan.

Under the leadership of the MoH and in cooperation with UNHCR and local NGOs, 20 IOM community mobilizers and 20 IOM health workers are working with communities in Ma’an, Karnak and Tafeileh governorates, as well as East Amman and Zarqa City. Information is being provided on locations and operating hours of fixed and mobile vaccination units.

The purpose of the campaign is to reduce morbidity, mortality and limit the spread of communicable disease outbreaks amongst the community.

The campaign intends to deliver key messages on purpose and importance of vaccination; and to identify vulnerable Syrian refugees living in remote areas with limited or no access to health centres or vaccination centres. 

IOM will work in close coordination with local NGOs to identify and map Syrian households with limited access to health centres. The information will then be passed on to MoH mobile teams to ensure that all vulnerable beneficiaries can be reached during the two-week campaign.

From 2 – 16 November, IOM will support the two-week vaccination campaign, by providing transport for MoH vaccination staff working in Irbid governorate, Ma’an, Karnak, Tafeileh, East Amman and Zarqa City. It will also help the MOH in transporting beneficiaries to be vaccinated if needed.

“IOM is supporting the Ministry of Health with this important initiative to avert an outbreak of communicable disease in a country where the medical services are under severe strain due to the influx of almost 550,000 Syrian refugees,” says the head of IOM Jordan’s migrant health division Dr. Marwan Naoum.

“In the lead up to the campaign, IOM will inform beneficiaries on the purpose of the campaign so communities are aware of the benefits of being vaccinated and the risks should they choose not to participate,” he adds.

Following an outbreak of measles in Za’atri camp in April 2013, the MoH asked IOM to immunize all Syrian refugees arriving at the camp.

As of Oct 13, 2013, IOM medical staff have immunized 53,154 Syrian refugees against measles and 15,825 children against polio. Some 14,589 infants and children were provided with vitamin A supplements. These prevent vitamin A deficiency, one of the most important causes of preventable childhood blindness and a major contributor to morbidity and mortality especially for those with measles infections.

IOM activities in support of the national vaccination campaign are funded by the Government of Kuwait.

For further information please contact

Dr. Nedal Odeh
IOM Jordan
Email: nodeh@iom.int
Tel: +962.775700731

or

Dr. Amir Johri
Email: ajohri@iom.int
Tel. +962.799624720